Thoughtless
by harshdecember
Summary: Hermione goes back to Hogwarts, and leaves a day later to a muggle school with three others from one of each house off of a random choice. Will she survive the pressures of a real High School and Draco, or is it all too self explanitory?
1. Rumor Has It

Author: Brandi Vincent

Disclaimer: Yes, I made up the idea for Harry Potter when I was five, you see, and I wanted Barbie to be in it but it just didn't work out. Since, after all, J.K. Rowling, my old buddy, ditched me to go on a plane back to Britain and began writing my ideas on cocktail napkins! So NOW it belongs to her! J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. 

Summary: Hermione, having been sleeping a lot lately, goes back to Hogwarts for her 6th year, only to find Draco Malfoy is with out his cronies and Slytherins and had completely changed with out them. He has an unexpected furry friend, Milady, to help him through the year. She seems to be quite found of Hermione. 

+Chapter One: Rumor Has It+

Hermione cursed under her breath as the train blew its last whistle for the final boarding of the Hogwarts Express. Storing her luggage away quickly, she hopped on the train and ran down the compartment doors to the favored one she had always shared with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, her two and only best friends that she could count on. 

She was late for two purposes: one, she had packed the night before around twelve a.m. and suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to put all of her stuff away for Hogwarts, spending the entire night sorting and storing so she had slept in the next morning. This was unlike Hermione, evidently, though she had just arrived home from Krum's (Quidditch player) a little earlier before she had remembered to pack up her stuff. Another reason was that the other muggles had crowded around platforms 9 and 3/4 just as she had arrived, thinking they did that on purpose just to make her late, which was merely a coincidence. 

Her 6th year would be even better than the year before, since Voldemort was out of the scene at last from complicating details and rumors she had heard about. Staying at Viktor Krum's half of the summer was a nice get away, but it was better to be back at home, or shall she say back at Hogwarts. Hermione didn't have much of any other friends, which sometimes almost made her weep from the non-expecting crowd of students that stuck their noses up at her. Harry, Ron, and her parents claimed that they were all just jealous that she was above standards at Hogwarts, but she knew all of them couldn't be jealous. Maybe a select few, but she knew how the pretty, dolled up people worked. They seemed as though they were all in on it; a mission to make any unhappy. The only thing she could call beautiful on her body was possibly her bust size; hence everything else was not at 'pretty' level. She considered herself pretty, in her own way, though not good enough for everyone else obviously. If only they wouldn't see her just as bushy haired Hermione, she would have more friends. 

Opening the compartment door, she had an unexpected surprise. Draco Malfoy sat alone, peering out of the train's window at vast plains and wild trees. He seemed to be thinking hard but carefully, and his expression warned off others from disturbing him. A cute little kitten nuzzled Draco's stomach as he continued to think. But that did not change Hermione's direction of path. 

"What are you doing in here, Malfoy?" She asked distastefully, crossing her arms over her chest. 

Draco, taken a back, looked up surprised, then expression changing to hatred and an unwelcome aura suddenly filled the air. "Thinking. What are you doing in here?" Not waiting for an answer, Draco demanded, "Get out."

"Make me, this is MY compartment. Where's yours and your body guards?" She stayed foot, face scrunching up into a sour frown of angst. Surely he didn't need bodyguards anymore; Draco was now a full-grown sixteen-year-old with broad shoulders and a firm looking chest. He could get his way just be flicking a kid and having them get knocked over by it. Hermione didn't care. She never cared when it came to the evil and seductive Malfoy.

"They left to that goody-goody French school in Paris or something to that extent. And this is not your compartment as of now. Potthead and Weasel are waiting for you a few compartments down. Now leave me be." Though never having his hateful look leave his face or the room, he seemed to force an aggressive voice from a not-caring-enough-to-reply voice. Turning back to the window, he had his thoughtful yet annoyed look back on his face, and sighed deeply. 

Wonder what happened to him...Hermione thought, leaving and slamming the door shut, returning a few doors down. It took a while to find Harry and Ron, but when she did, they looked pretty ticked off.

"Can you believe that little prick? If he didn't look like he could pack a huge punch, I'd knock him out as fast as he slithered into our compartment. Why is he in there, anyway? His cronies kick him out?" Ron's familiar attitude towards Draco returned back into Hermione's head, and she felt like laughing. How naive Ron can be, and stupidly funny at the same time. 

"Hello all who hate Draco, mind if I barge in on your lovely conversation?" Hermione asked, sitting next to Ron who looked up at Hermione with a sudden glow of happiness.

"Hermione! Did the giant, damned hamsters eat you yet?" Harry said out of no where, greeting Hermione with a smile.

"Let me see...." She thought with sarcasm, "No and why the retarded question? Oh, forget it. I found Draco in our usual compartment, why exactly? It was one thing with Professor Lupin, which was awkwardly funny, but seeing Draco all depressed almost made me depressed, too. He said his lovers went to Paris for one reason or another. Don't ask. But how was your summer?" stihe asked them, laying back in her seat. 

Harry told his telltale vacation with boredom and a hint of humor, as Ron explained how Fred and George opened up Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and how they exploded a dead rabbit in Percy's face. Disgusting, though pleasantly relaxing to hear happy and welcoming voices. Not saying much, she mentioned going to Krum's and other such meaningless tasks she has done over her time of freedom. Ron obviously seemed a little jealous to hear about how wonderful Krum is, but tried hiding it, which was a poor attempt. 

"I'm bored," Harry said out loud with an exasperated sigh.

"I wish someone would cast a plague of leaches down Draco's pants," Ron said out of no where, amusing himself with his own stupidity. 

"Well, I heard that Dumbledore is doing some huge surprise this year for one student in every house each. Random, rumor is maybe some big expedition or something... I don't know...." Harry replied in monotone, twiddling his fingers. 

"Of course, he always has something up his sleeve!" Hermione exclaimed in an 'obviously' tone, "You can never figure him!" 

"Yea, but what do you think it is?" Ron questioned, not really expecting an answer but a day dreaming moment. 

Hermione answered anyway, "Probably somewhere for a half a year or the whole year. Hopefully those French snobs do not come back. I am so glad Fluer did not come back to teach. That would be completely ignorant and foolish! After all, she is not the brightest person…"

"I don't care anymore. As long as it's not some stupid idea of combing houses or some sorting hat that puts you in some other house that was not your first choice, I'm fine with whatever lies ahead," Hermione persisted vaguely, looking out of the window and into the green moor. 

"What if it's as bad as having to work with Malfoy for a year?" Harry shuddered, looking at out the window as well. 

"I could stand it. As much as I hate Draco, it would be something new," Hermione replied. 

"I couldn't. We'd end up in some gory fight and wake up in the hospital wing the next day," Ron too, joined in on the stare at the long moor of wild grass. "Something different, though. The same old routine every year. But this time Voldemort won't be here to entertain us," Ron finally spoke the name he has been so terrified of ever since he heard about it's history. Now it just rolled off of his tongue like any other word. 

"Yea, something different. Same place every year. Same routine, same people, same everything," Harry sighed. 

Hermione agreed with him in her head and wondered what it would be like to be free out there on that lovely moor. How happy those field mice and rabbits must be, to be some place different every day. Although the moor consisted of wild grass and miles of it, it was still not a stuffy old castle. 

"Did you see Malfoy's cat?" Hermione snapped her head away from the window and turned to Ron.

"Are you two obsessed with him?" she asked, rolling her eyes. Then again…she had seen the cute little kitten cuddled on Draco's lap. She must have been too distracted by his thoughtful face to notice anything below it. 

"Yea, ugly little creature, it is," Harry cringed. Hermione was reminded of how she had to leave Crookshanks at home this year, since he had been roaming around the year before like a wild beast, Professor Snape claims. Due to his careful attention her mother and father were to take care of him this year. She still thought Crookshanks was lovely and dear, hence his scrunched up face and lumpy stomach. Making fun of Draco's cat seemed insane!

"Are you kidding me? I do remember noticing it but not storing the thought away carefully. It was beautiful! Almost as beautiful as Dra-" What was I about to say? She thought, stopping herself from saying the dreadful name. "Almost as beautiful as…dragons…." she covered up quickly. Not the brightest cover up, but it worked. "I happen to think Dragons are precious and beautiful. Anyway… I wish I had a cat like that."

The cat was completely covered in black, silky fur. Still, it seemed unique in it's own little way. 

"Pfft! Anything of Draco's is hideous and dark," Harry mumbled.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione ignored it and leaned back against the wall, staring out of the window blankly. It seemed too tempting and relaxing, that her eyes seemed to grow heavier by the second and her mind drifted off into a black swirl of dots. Giving in, she closed her eyes and nodded her head against the wall to her right. 

*~*~*

"Hermione! Hermione!" Ron shook her shoulders anxiously and looked out of the door as everyone crowded out of the train. 

Hermione groaned softly and stretched her arms out in front of her, opening her eyes slowly. Sleep dust still trying to close it shut; she wiped it away and sat up. 

"Ouch!" she shouted aloud as a sharp, strong shock of pain stung her neck. Must've slept on the wrong side, she thought angrily as she kept her neck in a position that wouldn't sting. Standing up, she carefully massaged her neck.

"Finally! We're leaving!" Harry said, motioning for them to leave the compartment. 

Cursing under her breath, Hermione walked out with Ron by her side and headed off of the train. Everyone seemed to be groaning for one reason or another, and she had to agree silently with them. Not knowing what, exactly, she sensed that it was either from back to school blues or the next long trip ahead of them to the damned castle. 

"You missed it," Ron chuckled, slinging an unwelcome arm around Hermione's shoulders. 

"What did I miss, exactly?" she asked, brushing off his arm.

"Malfoy stopped by our compartment. Apparently, he wanted to know the homework assignment because he 'forgot' them. What a nasty liar!" Harry told her, walking up from behind them.

"It might be possible that he did in fact," Hermione persisted, rolling her eyes on how blunt they can be at time.

"And he had that rotten cat at his side. It follows him everywhere, it seems!" Ron obsessed over the cat in such a minor mood it seemed ridiculous to insist a cat was 'evil'. 

"Is that all?" Hermione asked, hopping on the pearly white carriage.

"Um…yea, pretty much. But you could tell he was on to something!" Harry insisted, following. 

Hermione stuck her head back out of the carriage as Ron hopped in. "He looks lonely this year," she noted, peering at his black cat by his feet. "Where's his cronies?"

"Must have left to be jolly and gay together," Ron joked, believing that it might be true.

"Still…there's something about him this year yet I don't know what." Oh, please! We're talking about MALFOY. The evil of evil! Hermione thought with a small laugh. Wait, it's his eyes, she thought turning serious. He does look lonelier than usual. Amazing how much better a guy can look without a crowd of Slytherins breathing down his neck. Whoa! Hold it there, Hermione! Remember, he's Draco Malfoy, she thought sourly, sticking her head back in the cozy carriage. 

"Yea, you're right. He looks more sarcastic than usual," Harry replied thoughtfully, scratching his chin with sarcasm. 

"He strikes me more as a slimy, amazing, hopping ferret, actually," Ron added, doing the same reaction as Harry.

"Oh, please, you two!" Hermione giggled, trying to hold back a grin.

"Aah! Demon cat!" Ron shouted, cowering in the corner. A black cat hopped in suddenly, purring loudly with a wild smile. Hermione knew cats didn't have the muscles or ability to smile, but you can always tell when a cat is happy or evidently, smiling in it's own feline way. 

"But it's so sweet!" Hermione cooed, scratching behind its ear with encouragement. 

"She's not an 'it', she's a feline that would rather be referred to as 'Milady', as what I call her. My mom named her Fluffy, the wretched name, but it never stuck. I would like her back, and if my recommendation is too difficult to comprehend, I will repeat it with a more persistent tone," an eerie voice drawled. 

"Wow, you actually made sense! Sound the trumpets!" Harry applauded, bowing with yet another sarcastic aura.

"Quite hilarious, Potter. Maybe next time Milady happens to drop by, you shall happen to think up a better come back," Draco replied smoothly, turning back to Milady. 

"Excuse my sudden urge to reply to you with an odd and more polite sense, but Milady is quite the bright one. Why does she follow you around like she does?" Hermione asked, continuing to pamper Milady.

"What can I say? Animals adore my inane sense of kindness," Draco said this with the most coldest tone that it sounded like a joke of what he just said, "Milady! Come along, thy carriage awaits thee," he bowed to his cat with a sense of humor, as she rubbed up against Hermione's leg and hopped down from the carriage. 

"See you later, buddy old pal!" Ron waved, having Draco stare at him blankly with a shadow of cruelty. 

After Draco and Milady left, the carriages pulled away and went on with the long journey to the castle. 

"Wouldn't it be SO MUCH easier to just apperate into the castle?" Ron groaned, leaning back in his seat.

"It would, but they want us to feel just as much miserable as they are on occasion during the year. Besides, we don't know how to apperate," Harry inclined, doing the same as Ron. 

Hermione sighed softly and looked out of the window of the carriage. One more year and they would be free. It was unbelievable on how the years flew by with either victory or morn. She still didn't know what to do with her life. 

*~*~*

"Hermione! Hermione!" Harry's voice rang in her head as she shot open her eyes, glancing about.

"What happened?" she groaned, sitting up.

"We're at Hogwarts, you fell asleep again," Harry replied, hopping out of the carriage seeing as how Hermione was to follow. 

"Oh great, next thing you know I'll be sleeping in class," she murmured, following Harry. The place seemed deserted except for a few other students talking and walking slowly up the steps to have a long, private chat. "Where's Ron?" 

"Right here," Ron tapped her shoulder from behind and began to walk with them. "What's up with you this year?" 

"I don't know! I've had these sudden urges to doze off! I had enough sleep this summer, to last me all year, I don't understand why my mind is telling me to close my eyes…. It just happens…." Hermione replied, skipping up the stone steps. 

"Well, due to your lack of attention, we are about to miss the traditional sorting hat song," Harry stated, running up the steps and ahead of her.

"It took us forever to wake you up!" Ron added, stepping up to Hermione.

"Who cares? I feel as queer as Mistress Mary, Quite Contrary! With out the attitude!" Hermione gushed, a rush of happiness over coming her. 

"She's been reading too many classic novels again," Harry muttered to Ron as Hermione skipped three more steps and leaped into the castle.

"She's still got me stumped," Ron shrugged, following her.

Harry, Ron and Hermione ran into the main hall with an echoing pound of the large, oaken doors, causing a big entrance. Everyone stopped eating for a moment and stared at them with wide eyes, as if they had just seen a ghost.

"Bloody hell, they act as though we're insane clowns escaping a mental institution…" Ron whispered to Harry and Hermione as they walked quickly over to the Gryffindor table.

"Hey, look, slime-ball Malfoy doesn't have some smart ass comment to give us," Harry noticed as they sat down next to Ginny and Colin. 

"How nice of you to join us, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter, and Ms. Granger," Dumbledore said, the only sound heard in the entire room.

"How long did I sleep?" Hermione asked, keeping her head low.

"Well, I will tell the three of you what I have told the rest of the students that made it on time, one student from each house will be randomly chosen from the ages fourteen to seventeen to attend a public, muggle high school. We will be drawing the select four tomorrow evening. Please do show up this time when I announce them, will you?" Dumbledore announced. Hermione felt her cheeks burning red and the eyes of every student upon her. She dared to look up, only to find Draco staring at her intently, seeming to take no joy this time out of their embarrassment. That was odd. 

"Yes, sir," Harry replied, biting his lower lip. 

"Why are they STILL staring at us?" Ron whispered, giving a few smug faces the finger. 

"Because they have nothing better to do with their meaningless lives," Hermione whispered back as a few began to eat again. Soon enough, the rest of the students began eating and chatting away again.

"So, what's up?" Ginny asked after a long silence between the five of them. 

"Nothing, just Hermione slept on the carriage and it took about fifteen minutes to wake her up," Ron replied, biting into a buttered roll.

"Well, I know why Draco is being so silent and queer all of a sudden this year," Colin inquired, putting down his pumpkin juice, "His cronies left from Voldemort's sudden defeat and now all of the Slytherins hate him because of some reason or another. All I know is that Draco is vulnerable this year and all he has is his cat and arrogance."

"I knew something was up. Maybe he was only like that before to show off in front of the other Slytherins or knew he could get away with anything with those huge blokes around him," Ginny pondered, then not taking a second thought of it.

"Maybe, but he's probably still that slimy asshole inside," Ron replied, chewing with his mouth open.

~*~*~

Hermione dragged her feet restlessly down the empty corridors. Why am I always tired now? She asked herself, yawning again. She had drifted off at the Gryffindor table, and when she woke up, almost half of Hogwarts had gone to bed. She told Harry and Ron to leave without her, she sort of wanted to be alone to think. 

As she pondered a bit more, a black cat rubbed up against her bare legs from under her robe. Thinking it was a rat in her robes instead; she screeched and threw her robe off, dashing a few feet away and staring intently to the floor. Instead, she saw Milady, smiling up at her with those big, green and yellow cat eyes. 

"Oh, thank goodness!" Hermione sighed, leaning against the wall. 

"Quite," a seductive voice drawled, stepping up next to Milady, "I was hoping for her not to run into you again, but now I'm a little glad."

She looked up with a disgusted look on her face. "You are a pervert." She covered her chest by crossing her arms, which had a tight white top over it and a plaid mini-skirt. She normally would never wear such an outfit, but because of the heat and her small selection of clean clothing, she was forced to wear it. She looked down, noticing how her legs looked a little better than usual. She hated the heat all too much. "What are you doing up wandering about at this time anyway?"

"I was about to ask you the same question. Milady decided of all nights, 'Hey, why don't I torture Draco and find that mudblood girl again?' What took you so long to eat, Granger?" Draco replied, leaning against the wall as well. Even through his sarcastic sense and arrogance, Hermione felt he was being a little kinder than usual.

"I've been having this huge obsession with sleeping in the middle of things. Besides, why would you care of all people?"

"I have nothing better to do, have I? Besides, the other Slytherins seem to hate me this year. But screw them, all I need is myself," he replied, bending down to pet Milady. You could hear her purr a mile away.

"Aw, poor Draco. Excuse me while I go and find someone who gives a shit. I'm going to bed," she stated flatly, walking over to Draco to grab her robe. As he was bending down, he grabbed her robe and stood back up, holding it high over his head. Being a little shorter than he, it took a little difficulty to snatch it back.

"Give it back, Malfoy!" Hermione sneered, jumping up and attempting to grab it.

"Going to have to do better than that," he smirked, watching her jump in frustration.

"You are such a pig! Why are you bothering me, anyway?"

"What can I say? I have a knack for watching you squirm," he replied restlessly, waving it back and forth.

"Give it back!"

"Make me."

"Give it back!!"

"MAKE ME."

"GIVE IT BACK!" She had had enough. The turmoil and anger swelled up inside of her and she punched Draco square in the jaw. It bruised a pretty purple and black and it bled a little, as Draco dropped her robe and grabbed his jaw. 

"SHIT Granger! When did you become so abusive?"

"When you suddenly became interested in my form. Now if you will excuse me, I am going to bed in hopes of never seeing you again this year," with that said, Hermione pulled her robe back on and strutted away, clenching her teeth and balling her fists. After she was completely out of site, Draco began to laugh an evil but fruitful cackle. 

"Milady, I look forward to one of your little meetings with her soon," he told his cat, walking away with her scampering by his side.

+TBC+

Chapter 2 of Thoughtless: One student from each house is expected to attend a muggle school as a creative learning activity. Guess who gets picked? 

BrAnDi's Note: I had to name the author's note BrAnDi's Note, because I'm not just an author, I'm Brandi! I'm my own author! Anyway, I have been working on this for weeks once everybody has retreated to bed in my house, which is about one hour of typing and even then I got side tracked. I'm also working on Damned Eyes and this other fanfiction I haven't uploaded yet. So if you liked this, review and say hi! If you didn't, flame and say bye! Also, I named this from the KoRn song "Thoughtless". Kids get badgered in school everyday, and I clearly want to make my point in writing this. 


	2. Corrupted Everlasting

Author: Brandi Vincent

Disclaimer: Yes, I made up the idea for Harry Potter when I was five, you see, and I wanted Barbie to be in it but it just didn't work out. Since, after all, J.K. Rowling, my old buddy, ditched me to go on a plane back to Britain and began writing my ideas on cocktail napkins! So NOW it belongs to her! J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. 

Summary: The four are chosen. It all leads up to leaving to the train to London.

+Chapter 2: Corrupted Everlasting+

Hermione stretched, sitting up in bed. What time had I gone to sleep? She thought, planting her feet off of the bed and standing up. A little after Mr. Big shot got in my way, I guess. 

Today was to be another average day at Hogwarts. First day to classes, most of which she had with Harry and Ron, and most likely Draco Malfoy. No matter, she could ignore everyone's snickers like always. It wasn't too extreme when other students made fun of her, but every so often it would get out of hand.

She pulled on ankle high, black boots and a robe. She had taken a shower the night before and put on all of the clothes needed for the next day, as to not waste any time the next morning. She already had her supplies ready, so she grabbed it in her arms and went down to the common room where Harry and Ron were waiting.

"She is actually on time!" Ron gasped grabbing Harry's shoulder.

"I must say, this year may be looking up after all!" Harry joined in on the sarcastic act, "Ron, I'm scared!"

"Please," Hermione replied, rolling her eyes, "I'm always ready when it comes to school! In case you two have forgotten, my finals last year were the highest Hogwarts has ever lived to see."

"Well you had to bring those finals up," Ron muttered, scratching the back of his neck.

"Every year I am shocked you two get a minimal passing grade and make it to the next year!" Hermione said, walking out of the common room.

"Well, like we say, test don't bother us. We don't bother them. And if they do bother us, we get angry and have a fit and fail on purpose for the lack or the test's kindness," Ron stated clearly, acting as though they barely passed a test on purpose.

"Well then, keep it up. Maybe Mr. Finals will go easy on you this year," Hermione replied walking downstairs to the main hall. Everyone was already sitting down when Dumbledore stood up to make his usual morning announcements.

"Good morning, students, good morning! I expect you all slept well and are ready for the New Year of learning?" Groaning and sleepy eyes answered Dumbledore, everyone apparent that they wanted to go back to sleep or summer vacation. "Good! So, as to what I was explaining yesterday at dinner, we have randomly chosen the four selected students to attend Riverbanks Public High School, except the age range has been shortened. This will be a yearly ritual for one student from each house for now on, for the magic folk to understand the ways and district of muggles alike! Half a year you will be there, and a full report will be given to your peers, I expect! But, if you are chosen, you have the chance to object and pass the opportunity on to another house mate."

Dumbledore walked to the front of the stage to announce the four student's names. He snapped his fingers once there and in his hands appeared a yellow, old piece of parchment. "In alphabetical order, from Gryffindor, Hermione Granger!" 

The Gryffindor table erupted in applause while Hermione blushed and tried hiding her head from all of the extra attention she was being given. Harry and Ron seemed a little down, but smiled for her sake. "Second, Susan Bones of Hufflepuff!"

The Hufflepuff table then exploded in cheers and claps; Susan Bones beaming with satisfaction, unlike Hermione. "Next, from Ravenclaw, Terry Boot!"

Like the others, the Ravenclaw table cheered Terry on with pats on the back, while Terry looked like he had just been handed a baby from the infirmary. "And last but never least, Pansy Parkinson from Slytherin!"

But the Slytherin table, unlike the others, only laughed and pointed at Pansy for being chosen to attend a muggle school. She blushed and glared at Dumbledore furiously, not looking at all pleased. She had just turned from most popular to mudblood lover in less than a minute.

"If anyone has any objections, please see me after breakfast. Further instructions will be given to the four chosen ones at that time as well. Thank you, and have a pleasant year at Hogwarts Witchcraft and Wizardry!" Dumbledore finished, going back to his seat to eat. Suddenly, the tables filled with food like always year after year, and Harry and Ron did their yearly ritual: stuff as many things as you can in your mouth.

"I do not see what is with you two and food! You act as though they don't feed you around here!" Hermione exclaimed, sipping a bit of pumpkin juice and setting it back down from the sudden loss of appetite. What was she ever going to do the entire year at a muggle school? She did remember going to elementary, like most students did before attending Hogwarts, and still remembered some math, but this was to be an entirely different setting! High School. The name by itself sounded eerie and wretched. Though remembering a line from Edgar Allan Poe's poem, Lenore, 'A vaunt! To-night my heart is light. No dirge will I upraise, but the waft the angel on her flight with paean of old days!' That was her favorite line and she had made sure to remember it clearly. Maybe if she kept to remembering it, it would make her happier during the year.

~~~~~~

Hermione gathered up her stuff in one arm as everyone began to head down to their first class; Harry and Ron staying behind with her. "Be sure to tell us when you're leaving, okay? Come right to us if is today!" Harry instructed her with worried eyes.

"Yeah, here's our schedule. Just burst in and bring us out. And I mean it, hopefully the professor we have by then will feel so bad for us they'll let us take the day off!" Ron added, handing Hermione a piece of parchment with a mess of numbers and letters that would most likely take more than five minutes to clearify.

"It will most likely be tomorrow or something to that extent!" Hermione reassured them. They nodded and bid her good-bye as she stayed behind with Susan, Terry, and Pansy. 

"I can not like go to like a muggle school! My like reputation as a like Slytherin will be like ruined! I like demand to be taken off of that like list!" Pansy demanded, stomping her foot to Dumbledore as he was about to leave.

"As you wish, Ms. Parkinson! You only needed to ask," he replied with a smile, pulling the list back out. 

Hermione walked up to them with Susan and frowned, adding, "And I highly suggest you lengthen your vocabulary, Pansy."

"Who asked you?" Pansy snapped, cringing then turning back to Dumbledore.

"I found someone who can take your place surely enough, Ms. Parkinson. Draco Malfoy, is he still here?" He looked around at the Slytherin table, only to find Draco with his jaw dropped, along with everything else he possessed. "I suppose he hear..."

Pansy smirked, sticking her tongue out at Draco and laughed, "HAHA!" And with her revolting grin, she strutted out of the main hall with her nose stuck up higher than an elephant on dope. 

"Excuse ME?" Draco nearly shouted, not bothering to pick up his supplies, stalking towards Dumbledore. "I refuse to go to some muggle loving school with other teenage idiots that define the decaying of the world's ecosystem!"

"Well, Mr. Malfoy, would you rather be excluded from the ecosystem all year here or learn something new there?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

Draco's face slowly turned from outrage to agreeable, remembering why all of the Slytherins hate him now. Mumbling to himself and shuffling his feet, he looked to the ground and groaned, "Fine. But only for half a year and I refuse to socialize with such insolence." He snapped his head over to Hermione as she giggled. Once she realized he was burning a glare right through her she looked up, shutting her mouth. "What is so funny, Granger?"

"It's nothing. I'm just not used to you having such intelligent quips," Hermione replied, clutching onto her books tightly.

"Yes, and I find just EVERYTHING you state all too extraordinary," Draco snapped, turning back to Dumbledore. 

"When are we to leave?" Terry Boot asked, stepping up to Draco.

"Tomorrow morning at seven a.m. You do not have to go to classes today, that would be a waste of time. So you can stay in your common rooms if you like for the rest of the day. Hopefully you guys have not unpacked yet. You will live in an apartment in London during which time and share a room with the same sex as you. A professor will escort you along the way. River Banks High School begins Thursday (that day being Tuesday) so I suggest you catch up on your beauty sleep," Dumbledore told them, nodded his head and leaving the main hall.

"What was that about?" Hermione snapped at Draco, taking him by surprise.

"Define what part of the conversation," Draco replied smuggly, glaring at the other two and storming out of the main hall as well, holding his shoulders in an uptight position. Hermione groaned furiously and stalked after him, equally as stubborn as he was.

"What is with this sudden outcast aura I feel from you? You suddenly understand what it feels like to be left out? Welcome to the real world and spit it out, why does Slytherin HATE you now? Are you too coward to confess?" Hermione bombarded him with questions, speed walking up to him as he pulled his black robe tighter around his neck.

"Why do you give a shit all of a sudden? I shouldn't have to matter to you or any of your precious, gay friends!" Draco replied, making loud smacks of the ground each time he stepped with his huge combat boots.

"Please, if we are going to have to live together under the same roof for now on, I should at least demand a few things. Wait, I get it, you are a coward! A queer, shadowed coward!" She replied, stamping a foot in front of him and folding her arms.

"I am NOT a coward, you stubborn brat! It's just my father made a few... Let's just say a few dastardly decisions that had cost him his fortune and a place next to Voldemort's throne. Pleased?" Draco spat, stopping in front of her.

"Pleased but unfulfilled. Which reminds me, how can you keep such a solemn, 'beware of me' expression, which still shows that you are content yet, unfulfilled?" She replied, as both were acting quite contrary. 

Draco completely changed his expression and chuckled lightly, crossing his arms over his chest, "How do you do the same?" Hermione was fuming as he continued to act natural and sly to the argument at hand. "Has any one ever told you that you look entirely sexy when you're mad?" He brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes playfully, messing with her.

That's when he crossed the line, "Get the hell away from me, you sadistic fuck! I thought it wouldn't be too impossible to live with you but now… ERRAGHH!" Hermione snapped, slapping his hand away.

"Like wise. Although I just LOVE to be screamed at in my face, Hermione, I would rather be spending the day sharpening up on my muggle skills and lessons for the high school," Draco smirked and brushed past Hermione, walking more easily down the hall.

"Never call me Hermione again!" She shouted down the corridor.

"It is your name, isn't it?" Draco replied, peering over his shoulder. Hermione kicked the wall angrily, so mad she could pull out all of her thick layers of hair, until suddenly someone tapped heron her shoulder. Behind her she found Terry.

"Um, he left his stuff behind," he said, motioning for Hermione to take it.

~~~~~~ 

Well, well, well. Let's see what we have here, Hermione thought with a sneer, letting Draco's stuff scatter on her desk. It was all in a brown, leather book bag with a few books tossed atop of it. She was never one to steal, but when it came to HIM, the rules didn't apply. 

She looked at the first few books, which were The Lottery, The Giver, and An Interview with a Vampire. A few on her top choices, but that didn't change the fact that she still hated him! Although Harry and Ron wouldn't be caught dead with any of those books, even if they did, not all at the same time anyway. She looked on to the next few books that were for his classes to come and other supplies such as quills and many sheets of parchment. A few ticket stubs were stuck to the bottom of his leather bag (which the bag seemed leather) for a Shakespeare play, A Midsummer's Night Dream. 

So the boy has humor and a love for true art, including the classic Shakespeare play, Hermione thought eloquently, grabbing a crumpled up piece of parchment. It seemed like that a poem he had written down before, entitled 'A Prick from a Daisy'. She began reading it silently, hoping he was as good as a poet he is a good judge of a book.

Dazzling Daisy planted in ashes

Eyes glowing danger with raven lashes

Freedom flickering with your fire

Yet captive inside from all who laugh

Would care less for thy's attire

So lost alike a baby calf

Trample, crumple, and stamp on thy hopes

More than me, I can see right through thee

So innocent and free yet she mopes

Dazzling Daisy planted in hell

Fires scream but she failed and fell.

It was as beautiful and dark yet seemed so true, that she furrowed her brow most frustratingly. The last thing she wanted was to like and understand Draco, so she tried remembering all of those times he had made her angry. But none of them helped and she frowned, stuffing his materials back in the leather shoulder backpack. She would have to give him back his books tomorrow, but she kept the poem.

~~~~~~

A vaunt! To-night my heart is light. No dirge will I upraise, but the waft the angel on her flight with paean of old days! Hermione had thought as she had drifted off into a peaceful sleep the night before, dreaming nothing. She wondered if the brain system just turned off entirely until it was time for you to remember to wake up. If it was, she hated it. She liked to dream and fly and drive cars to anywhere she pleased. Dreaming was such a gift, better than reality. In a dream, you can do anything you want, but nothing too much. A dream always meant something, so she supposed if you were not to dream you would not have anything to be reminded or warned about. She knew she had plenty to worry and be warned about, but apparently her mind didn't agree.

Stretching out of bed yet again, she rubbed her eyes roughly. She was still a little groggy, so her eyes itched badly. She hated it when that happened, since it never seemed to go away. The other girls had probably already woken up and left to the common room to gossip about the most unimportant and air-headed topics their close minds could think up. Laughing a bit to herself in spite of that rude comment, she stood up and yanked on a set of new clothes and shoes to go downstairs herself. 

She then remembered she had to go to Riverbanks High tomorrow and leave on a train to London today.

Damn it, she cursed in her head, looking over to her suitcases. She groaned and picked them up, making sure she had everything and dragged them downstairs to the common room. 

Harry and Ron looked up mournfully as they watched her drag her stuff towards them.

"I can't believe you're going away for almost a year, and with MALFOY of all diseased rats!" Ron exclaimed, resting his head on his fist.

"That just ruined ALL of our plans this year!" Harry added, slumping.

"Don't worry, you guys! I will be fine, and you two will live," Hermione reassured them as she plopped down on a cushion, "and it's too early to go on that stupid train!"

"Welcome to my world," Harry replied, sitting down next to her, "Now that I'm the new captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, I have to get up earlier than I ever had to!"

"How could you stand it for three years?! Being a beater is fun but the time we have to get up is ridiculous!" Ron asked him, sitting on the other side of Hermione. 

"Well, it's time to go now," Hermione sighed, getting back up and grabbing her suitcases again. "I'm going to miss you guys. But don't worry, I'll be back after Christmas!"

Harry and Ron looked down mournfully, only hoping she would have some sudden reason to stay. "Bye, Mione," They gave their farewell. 

Hermione smiled a little and stepped forward to kiss both of them on the cheek, "Bye!" She walked wistfully out of the common room and down the stairs all of the way to the door of the main hall. Susan told me we had to wait out here, so where is everyone? Hermione thought. Cringing, she saw Draco come down the corridor in his green, Slytherin Quidditch uniform with gloves and all. All he was carrying was his broom and he looked a bit winded.

"Um, Draco where is your stuff?" Hermione asked curiously as he stopped in front of her. Draco's eyes turned from tired to wide.

"Oh yea!" He recalled as he turned the other direction again to the Slytherin common room. Hermione only shook her head and stifled a laugh. Susan Bones came down the other corridor with her suitcases, unlike some people. 

"Hey, Hermione!" She greeted, setting down her suitcases as well, "Guess what I heard?"

"You heard that you and Hermione will be sharing a room as Draco and I will be sharing a room in a big apartment in London," Terry finished for her, coming up from behind and setting his suitcases down. "Though I hope you two won't make a complete mess of yourselves and the apartment. I'll have to teach Draco that a clean room is a super happy room!"

"Me, unorganized? Wait, maybe I am, so I'll probably need a lesson," Susan told him, turning to Hermione.

"You're a big clean freak, correct?" Hermione asked him with a grin.

"Correction, organized organism is how I like to put it," Terry replied. His suitcases told it all, they were spotless and neatly closed with not one spec of dust on it. 

"I see you all are getting along well, I see?" A familiar voice said. They looked up, then looked down. 

"Professor Flitwick?" Hermione asked, confused, "Who is teaching Divination then?"

"A burly man, Professor Black! Though I'm shocked to find that every student steers clear of him!" Professor Flitwick replied, looking around, "There is only three of you! Where is the other student?"

As he said it, Draco came running down the hall with his suitcases in each hand, Milady running in front of him proudly. The cat stopped in front of Terry and looked up at him with her big, watery eyes, rubbing up against his leg.

"Goodness!" Terry shouted, stepping back and pulling out a tissue to wipe off his cat hairs, "I am allergic to cats!"

"I'm…here…" Draco panted throwing down his suitcases and dropping to the ground, Milady coming up to him and scratching his cheek as to say, "Get up!"

"Fantastic! Now we need to go to the carriages!" Professor Flitwick advised, leading the way out of Hogwarts. Draco groaned, still in his Quidditch uniform, and slowly dragged himself back up to his feet, attempting to grab his suitcases.

"I can carry them if you're too tired, Draco," Hermione insisted, stepping forward.

"No, I can handle a few suitcases!" He snapped, picking them up and following the short professor slowly.

"Ok," mumbled Hermione, following him.

Terry, Susan, Draco, and Hermione got into one carriage as Professor Flitwick got into one all by himself. "Now this just isn't fair," Draco broke their silence sarcastically as the carriage began pulling off.

"Agreed!" Terry replied, taking his tissue and feathering his seat, making it 'sanitary'. 

"I'm sharing a compartment with Hermione!" Susan claimed, raising her hand.

"Are you kidding me? I'm not sharing a clean compartment with him! He'd make it dirty!" Terry protested, looking Draco up from down.

"There's no way I'm sharing a compartment with Mr. Clean!" Draco insisted. 

"Fine, jeez! Hermione and Draco share a compartment then!" Susan proclaimed, crossing her arms.

"Fine," Draco replied.

"Fine," Terry added.

"Fine!" Hermione finished, hoping it was the end of the discussion. 

~~~~~~

Hermione entered the small train with only three compartments, entering one of them. They must have not used the Hogwarts Express, she thought sitting down. Soon enough, Draco stalked in like he always did when he didn't want to do something, with Milady following. Milady hopped on one side of Hermione, pretending to look like a human. Draco sat right across from her.

"This is going to be hell living with that fruit," Draco muttered, indicating Terry.

"Oh, come on. He's not that bad," Hermione insisted, patting Milady's head. 

"He sprayed my ass with disinfectant," he replied, moving in his seat uncomfortably. Hermione laughed a little, trying to hold it back.

"Maybe his boat doesn't rock the right way," she suggested, watching his eyes widen more in amusement. 

"Whatever," he replied, lying down on his back with his hands behind his head. "I'm going to sleep. Don't wake me up."

"Night," Hermione replied, lying down as well. "Oh yea, by the way, you left your backpack behind," she handed him his brown, leather backpack with all of his books inside. He caught it without opening an eyelid.

"Never touch my stuff again, got it? Although…err, thanks anyway," he said, holding it close to his chest.

"Your welcome," she replied as Milady curled up in a ball and closed her eyes as well. "And, oh yes, I like your poem."

Draco's eyes snapped open with Milady's as Hermione smiled, closing her eyes.

+TBC+

Chapter Three of Thoughtless: The train starts malfunctioning and they're there all night until they decide to start walking. No surprise, they miss the first day of school! So they decide to do something else with the day…

BrAnDi's Note: I couldn't upload forever since, everyone knows that fanfiction.net likes to screw up. I went to my little sister's birthday today, and her friends were so cute! Anyway, I'll answer reviews or something: 

ljp: Thank you, and I'll try giving more information if you want on the next chapters.

apie: Please refrain from ever using the words 'ficcy' and 'dracy' again. I honestly hate those childish terms, but thanks anyway!

Diamond Angel: Thanks too! Yea, I'm not missing any crap in this story now. All of my other ones are so short and go so fast, so I'm making sure this is long and well written or something…

BraveSpiritGryffindor: Well, welcome to the real world, sorry to say. Teenagers swear! And I HAVE to swear. Swearing gets your feelings out, it can be your best friend! Thanks for reading!

Stephanie: Thank you too, I hope you continue reading.

Hermy-own-ninny: Thanks too. I'll update when I have the time, since I'm writing Damned Eyes too, and that's pretty damn long….

GerHPfa: Again, thanks too!

Glittery chunsa: Um, yea, thaaaaankss, but no thanks. I got the feeling you wanted me to have you and Draco flirt to that extent. Well, this is after all a D/Hr so I don't think there'd be any of that. I also couldn't identify most of the words; I could only read every other word. So is it impossible to refrain from using ghetto/slang in a review? I'm getting the feeling from some of you that you think this will be a happy go lucky fanfiction. I'm just going to show you all how school is like in the eyes of an outcast or what some of you like to call 'freak'. I think I should know how Hermione feels later in the story.

M-chan: Oh, yea, I'm always making fun of the D/Hr cliché fic. Most fanfictions I can't STAND because they re either 'Hermione, I've loved you my whole life!' or some same old plot with them being head boy and girl, or detention, or them doing something the same as any other plot.

And finally Felicity and Darcel thank you too. I just wanted to get that out of my way, I might not always do a thanks or answer questioning thing, though you can ask me to answer a question if you like. I just hope you people didn't get the impression they are all going to have fun at that muggle school. If you did, you thought wrong. Well, anyway, see ya. I'll update whenever.


	3. The Fires of Lust and Sorrow

Author: Brandi Vincent

Disclaimer: Yes, I made up the idea for Harry Potter when I was five, you see, and I wanted Barbie to be in it but it just didn't work out. Since, after all, J.K. Rowling, my old buddy, ditched me to go on a plane back to Britain and began writing my ideas on cocktail napkins! So NOW it belongs to her! J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. 

Summary: The train goes boom and so does my head. They decide to walk to the nearest building or anything with at least people, and find a gas station and bookstore instead. Bookstores are my friiieeeend….

+Chapter Three: The Fires of Lust and Sorrow+

Draco's eyes snapped open, awakening from a deep sleep. The train wasn't moving, he just realized. It was the train's gentle bumps that kept him sleeping, but now he was wide-awake. He looked over to Hermione, who was still sound asleep. He smirked, adoring how innocent and peaceful she looked. He sat up, stretching, when an aching, jolting pain shocked his neck. 

"Holy crap!" He cursed silently, shutting his eyes tightly and holding his head in a position that didn't hurt. He put his head in the wrong position when he was asleep, he figured, standing up with his head at the side. Caressing it lightly, he opened the door quietly and looked left and right, closing the compartment door. Suddenly the train looked larger, possibly since there was another section for dining. Picking a compartment randomly he opened it and stepped inside, finding Susan and Terry having an explicit conversation.

"Eh-hem," Draco obviously didn't care whether he was being rude or interrupting one bit. Once they looked up at him, he continued, "Has anyone noticed the train stopped?"

Susan looked out of the window, where gray clouds were forming and wild grass shivered with the breeze. "Huh, would you look at that?" She pondered, staring out of the window.

"Neither I have noticed. We were talking the entire time. Lovely moor, though," Terry replied, looking out of the window with her.

"Excuse me while I go find someone who cares," Draco replied monotone, figuring they would be of no help. He left their compartment without a good bye and went to the one next to it. Opening it, he found Professor Flitwick resting, snoring loudly against the windowpane.

"Excuse me, Professor?" Draco asked, stepping inside and tapping him lightly. 

"What?! It was only grass!" Professor Flitwick shouted, snapping his eyes open and awakening.

"Beg pardon?" He asked, looking at the professor curiously.

"I mean weed! I mean a pipe! I mean...never mind," the professor propped himself up, looking up at Draco in puzzlement, "Dear gawd, child! What in heaven's name happened to your head?"

Draco snapped his head straight, then screamed in pain, putting it back down, "An unfortunate sleep. Why has the train stopped?"

Professor Flitwick looked out of the window and gasped, "I have no idea!" He stood up on his stubby feet and waddled over to the engine room in a hurry, brushing past Draco.

"OK! I'll just be over here..." Draco called out sarcastically, standing inside of the compartment. It seemed like it was about to rain. He looked down at his wrist, only to find his Quidditch gloves and uniform still on. He groaned, forgetting that he had practiced early on in the day. He was still in his deep green robe, which he considered he looked pretty damn sexy in. Admiring his form, Professor Flitwick walked in then.

"The train has broke down! The conductor has no idea how! It will take a while to fix…possibly all night…But don't worry! We'll be on our way before you can say muggle high school!" He told him, sitting back on his seat.

"Grreat. What am I supposed to do until then?" Draco asked, not looking happy at all. 

"Well, you could read or have a civilized chat with Hermione or any of your other soon to be roommates!" Professor Flitwick suggested, looking up at him.

"Uh-huh, well, I'm going over there," Draco said, rolling his eyes and walking out of the compartment. Bloody train, he thought, walking back to his own compartment. Though it'll be fun messing around with Hermione, even if she can mess with my mind sometimes… He closed the door behind him and turned around, seeing Hermione still sound asleep. She looked cute in a way, and he couldn't help stare at her peaceful expression. He sat back down and sighed, leaning back down in his chair. 

Getting his mind off of the sleeping Hermione, he closed his eyes. A small memory flashed across his mind and he shuttered. Milady saw him shiver and jumped on his lap for comfort, though not doing much on his side. She was there when it happened, so she knew why he was shivering.

It was a dark, eerie night when Lucius Malfoy seized a kitchen knife across Draco's stomach, drawing deep, crimson amounts of blood from it. Draco hissed in pain, stumbling backwards and hitting the corner of the counter sharply. Now he had a bruise on his eye, a deep cut on his stomach, and now an aching pain on the whim of his waist. He had tried reasoning and defending his side, but his father was too outraged to see beyond his own bloodshot eyes.

"You filthy back-stabber! Betray your own family and blood!" Lucius had hollered, prepared to make another cut or bruise in Draco's skin. "We raised you right and were destined for Voldemort's path, now you shan't belong anywhere! You're an outcast, and that's all you will ever be! No one! YOU ARE NO ONE! Leave this house, and never come back! I never want to look in the mirror again to think you were ever going to fulfill your family's fortune! LEAVE!" He swished the knife across Draco's shoulders, but he missed, Draco ducking. Milady hissed furiously, scratching Lucius' ankle quickly and running back behind Draco.

"FINE. I never want to see another homicidal idiot like you again!" Draco yelled, backing out of the kitchen quickly.

"Draco?" 

He snapped his eyes open from the sudden interruption, gasping. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead as he spotted Hermione sitting up across from him. Hermione was opening her eyes slowly, staring at him curiously.

"You look frightened, what's wrong?" She asked politely, hoping not to offend or upset him. She had her robe covering her for warmth.

"Nothing. What's it to you, anyway?" He snapped, folding his arms stubbornly.

"I was just trying to be polite!" She replied groggily, sitting up straight, "We're going to have to live together, remember? Can I not be civilized? Besides, why has the train stopped?"

"Finally, someone with at least half a brain has realized that…" Draco said, mainly to himself, "Something is wrong with the train. It will take a while, most likely leading up to walking on foot to the nearest gas station."

"Perfect, nothing I like more than spending the day on a small, cramped train in the middle of no where," Hermione murmured, stretching her muscles. Milady hopped over to her, sitting on her lap and staring up at her with big, round eyes, looking as though to say, "Keep talking to him! He needs to lower his conceited, stubbornness ways!"

"Traitor…" Draco muttered again, furrowing his brows. 

"So, how excited are you about this super, fantabulastic year we are about to experience?" Hermione asked sarcastically, patting Milady's soft head. 

"I plan to keep to myself and stomp on anyone who dares steer in my path," he replied, getting up and walking out of the compartment. He returned a few moments later with a silky soft, thick blanket in his hand from his suitcase. It was getting chilly, from the train being so drafty and all. As he sat back down, the window cracked open; falling a couple of inches down, bringing in more cold air. A crack of lightening bolted across the sky, with thunder backing it up. A few drops of rain trickled on the wild grass, as another bolt of lightening fly across the gray sky. 

"Shit," Draco mumbled, getting up and attempting to pull the window back up into place. "Worthless piece of junk!" The windowpane wouldn't budge, as the rain increased and poured to the ground, now slipping in the compartment. 

"Well this just made MY day!" Hermione groaned, fisting the wall. Draco cringed at the sky and cursed, falling back down heavily to his spot. He wrapped the blanket around him and shivered, staring at Hermione. Since she had her robe off and wrapped around her stomach, he could clearly see something quite personal forming more visible on her breasts through her tight black shirt. He smirked to himself, forgetting Hermione was looking at him for a second.

She glared at him angrily and covered her breasts with her arms, kicking him in the shins. He cursed in pain, as Milady seemed to glare at him too, as to say, "You should treat a lady with more respect!" He rolled his eyes as more rain poured in through the window, the sky growing darker. He sighed, loosening the blanket from around him. Her robe didn't seem to warm her enough. 

"You want to share the blanket?" Draco offered kindly, yet still stubbornly as she shivered. She looked up at him suspiciously, then scooting Milady off a little and getting up to sit next to Draco and under his covers. 

"You better not have some perverted trick up your sleeve, Draco," she warned, clutching the blanket up to her neck. 

"Don't worry," he reassured, "I've been off duty for about two minutes." 

She tried as hard as she could to keep warm under the blanket while keeping a clear, small distance between the two. As a silence followed and the only sound to be heard was the trickling of rain and pounding of thunder, they soon became drowsy once more. Another moment passed before they both closed their eyes, leaning back against the wall with a peaceful sleep of comfort.

~~~~~~

Hermione opened her eyes slowly, snuggling closer to what was keeping her so comfortable and warm. She looked down and gaped in shock. Draco and her were leaning against the wall together with the blanket wrapped around them, his arm also wrapped around her waist. His chest was firm and warm too, she could tell, trying not to awaken Draco. His arms were to strong and protective, she felt she could lay there with him all day. Thus as dreams come to and end, so do moments. She looked up to find his gray, misty eyes open, staring into a blank oblivion before him. He looked thoughtful; not to be disturbed, but surely he had noticed that she was awake, but refused to look at her.

"I admit, I had another nightmare," he stated, still staring at nothing, "But it was of neither fiction or malformed creatures. Just a memory, another faulty memory…"

"Are you alright?" She asked, seeing he was in no mood to be a sarcastic bastard.

"Fine, as always. Yet I can never put my finger on why," he replied surely, crossing his eyebrows. 

"Um," Hermione paused, shifting in the seat, "how exactly did we end up like this?"

"What does it matter but that we are warm and not wet? We probably shifted in this position during our sleep, looking for warmth and comfort… Not a bad way to wake up though, eh?" Draco replied, squeezing her lightly with his arm. 

She glared up at him, but mentally agreed. It was still drizzling, and it seemed to be around six at night. The train still wasn't moving. "Isn't it scary? How this train has stopped in the middle of a moor and that any creature could waltz up in? Like a headless horseman or vampire of some sort? It scares me, at least," she questioned, scooting closer to him from frightening herself. True, anything could happen. And possibly no one would ever find out. Sooner or later, of course, but in the meantime it seemed unlikely the train would budge another centimeter. 

"Very likely. I only wish to be in London, surrounded by people. They all may be ignorant twits, but a crowd is sort of comforting in a way. Showing you're not alone in the world," Draco answered, making little circles on her skin with his finger. How can he be so sarcastic one minute, then completely reasonable the next? Hermione thought, annoyed. They weren't supposed to be engaged in each other's presence, but they were, for warmth. And even that reason was questionable, maybe not just for warmth. She was growing attached to the brat somehow, and as much as she hated to say it, she didn't mind sleeping next to him in the drafty compartment. 

~~~~~~

"How is the engine now, Buck?" Professor Flitwick asked, entering the engine room. Buck, the conductor, looked completely confused and puzzled. 

"Nothin' new. Ay, dunno if it'll work thee all night! Tha' better stay put, I'll get 'er workin' soon," Buck replied in heavy Yorkshire, bending down to check for something. He waved the heater with a cloth once. 

PHOOM. 

A huge, blazing fire crackled out of the stove and almost caught Buck and Professor Flitwick on fire. They backed off quickly as the fire soon caught on to other parts of the train and grew. No surprise, there wasn't any water on the train and no fire extinguisher. They attempted to stomp on the flickers of fires, but they just kept regrouping. They gasped in shock and ran out of the engine room, opening the doors of the student's compartments.

Buck opened Draco and Hermione's room, the two still sleeping. Milady looked up at him and meowed, sniffing the air for smoke, and began biting at the blanket. The heavy puffs of black smoke were making their way down the train. Buck dashed by their side and threw off the blanket, shaking them quickly.

"Get up, you chindlens! There's a fire a brewing!" He shouted as they opened their eyes slowly. Once acknowledging that there was a fire in the train, they jumped up at the same time looked around, wondering what had happened. The crackling fire was making it's way to their compartment, so Buck slammed the door shut. 

"You two best not go out that way! Tha' must open the window and jump!" Buck advised, opening the already open window wider, letting in more rain since it was still raining. Milady hopped out first, being the one with most agility. Draco grabbed his blanket and threw it outside, scrambling out next.

"Oh sure! Save your blanket!" Hermione shouted, hopping out. She almost bashed her head to the ground, thankfully Draco catching her before she could even touch the grass.

Buck hopped out next, stumbling as doing so. Milady stared in silence as the train began burning up, slowing down though from the heavy rain. Hermione shivered, and Draco sighed annoyingly, setting his not too wet blanket around her shoulders. He didn't necessarily LIKE her, but she was company. They watched in silence as the rain cooled the fire down to a stop, Draco then braking the silence as usual.

"Well. You don't see that very often," he said, shuffling his feet.

"Now that just 'idn't make a damned sense," Buck added, scratching his nearly bald head, "The ministry only wanded to pay ho much for the cost of the half year trip for tha'. Though it didn't hit a ball that they should'a put in water or anything else that would'a made some sense in a fire!"

"Where's the others?" Hermione questioned, stepping towards the crisped train. Terry, Susan, and Professor Flitwick walked from behind the train just then, stunned. 

"We had enough time to get through the door, what did you guys do?" Susan asked, walking towards them, rubbing her arms for warmth.

"Jumped through the window. And yes, we know how sensible and intelligent that was," Draco replied sarcastically, picking up his freezing wet cat. 

"Eh, Professor! We're gonna have to walk the rest of the way once the chindlins have picked up wha's left of their luggage," Buck told the terrified professor. They waited for the fire to settle, before trudging over to one area of the train to retrieve whatever was left of their luggage. Surprisingly, most of their stuff hadn't been touched, except for some charred parts and one suitcase that had completely been burned to a crisp, which was Hermione's set of clothing. She groaned in annoyance, kicking a small part of the wrecked train.

"Well, hence the fact that half of my clothing has been burnt to a crisp, I'm just peachy!" Hermione said in bright sarcasm, picking up what was left of her luggage.

"We're goin' hafta walk o' foot to the nearest town, which is 'bout two or three miles down the moor," Buck told them, putting his hand above his forehead in a salute to see beyond the light

"Suppose it's good for the heart, anyway! A good excursive!" Professor Flitwick added, picking up his luggage and began trailing down the wild grass.

"Yea, and the adrenaline rush of a fire sure boots up the heart rate!" Draco cheered sarcastically, picking up his luggage and letting Milady go in front of him to follow the professor. Hermione, still wearing the blanket, held her robe in the other hand and dragged her luggage after them, Susan and Terry following with content faces.

"Those cheap bastards! I have no owl to send a letter to 'em, no water, no nothing! All's I gots is a pack of trail mix and lighter to get me threw the day! Well, this is never gonna happen again!" Buck announced, falling behind.

"Surely they had a good explanation. Possibly they were low on budget," Terry suggested, walking next to Susan.

"Possibly, but you never see the ministry doing anything useful, do you? They practically let Voldemort waltz up to Hogwarts and cause all sorts of bloody crap!" Susan protested, flipping her two braids behind her shoulders.

"Would you all just shut up about it! It's over, and all we can do is walk our feet off to the bloody bone of the ankle and complain about how miserable the higher council of wizards have ruined our year!" Draco ended it, huffing as he slouched his shoulders. He did not look happy, so no one dared reply. Hermione glanced up at him quickly, hoping not to have caught his eye to make him angrier. But the glimpse she did catch was he being miserably angry at the world. Before he had looked so peaceful and agreeable, funny how someone can change within the hour. Draco did that a lot. He never let emotions get high strung in a big web of mess that made him more miserable than he already was. He probably had never loved, and the only woman he had was his mother. Hell, the only real date he ever had was with Pansy Parkinson, and you can see how wonderful and perky she always was. A little puppy waiting on his every move, then news got around and she didn't love the rich Malfoy anymore. 

Hermione knew he had other admirers, obviously with his perfectly sculpted body, but they only liked him for one thing or the other: his money or his looks. And even if someone did ask him out, he would probably see right through her and refuse on the spot. 

He was probably a virgin.

Hermione sort of gave a giggle at the thought. Draco Malfoy, pure evil and sexy in every way, a virgin? She wasn't one to talk, but it was humorous all the same. I mean if you'd just look at him, he gave you that aura that made sure you knew he was naughty and full of angst and venom. But once you think about it he was too sour and stubborn to ever love or even consider the thought of fucking some pathetic being that disgusted him one way or another. Then again she was glad he was probably a virgin, then he wouldn't have the sudden urge to pump into someone like her when she sleeping.

"Ew," she muttered as they passed a rabbit hole, thinking of the thought of Draco pumping into her. EW! She thought, in a sort of childish stage. She did that a lot, just think of something nasty and say something to brake a silence. Then she could never get the thought out of her head.

"What?" Draco asked, a bit more softened than before. His temper had probably cooled down by the breeze. Their legs were already aching, already walking for ten minutes.

"Nothing," Hermione answered in an instant, changing her expression quickly. Draco and Hermione were walking pretty slowly; Milady, Professor Flitwick, Buck, Terry and Susan were already feet ahead of them. They were probably trying to consume their energy for the long walk. Either that or they just felt lazy.

"So, what are you going to do this year?" She asked, clearing her throat as the others began breaking the silence as well, corrupting in conversations.

"Keep to myself, and if a disgusting muggle dares touch me, don't expect me to smile and greet them with a cheery warmness," he replied, pulling up his green sleeve and checking the time. Six p.m. Hermione glanced at him, take note of his uniform.

"Were you practicing this morning?" She asked, grinning.

"In fact, I was. Lost track of the time, I had woken up at four in the morning and was practicing for about three hours," he answered, sighing. Might as well put their differences aside. Didn't mean he still wasn't going to be arrogant with her...

"Strictly polite, but you're better than Harry. What I don't get with him is he grabs a broom and starts flying like a professional," Hermione laughed, watching as Terry flirted with Susan. Ah.

"Well, um, thanks. I've been at it ever since I was eight," he thanked, messing around with his gloves.

Right as she was about to reply, Buck interrupted them, "Aye! My calculations was wrong! Look, a gas station an' book store up along there!" They all snapped their head forward, staring intently ahead of them. Indeed, there was a dirt road with a bookstore and gas station at either side, except the gas station seemed more like a candy store with a gas pump. The buildings seemed to have aged a good deal, since the bricks and layers of wood were pealing and cracking, but they still looked decent and petite.

"Happy days!" Professor Flitwick cheered, speeding up his pace to run into the gas station.

"What's a muggle landmark going to do? Let us take a ride on a pretty brick and fly away?" Draco asked sarcastically, looking unimpressed.

"Aye, but that's exactly precise! I'd warrant every last knut of me to say they have a phone!" Buck replied with a warm grin, looking up at the sunset.

"Beg pardon?" Draco asked smugly, as Terry interrupted.

"Correct, Sir, but there are no phone wires of any sort. I highly doubt there is a phone or any sort of communication line here," Terry advised, catching up to Buck with a sweaty forehead. He wasn't much of the athlete or a guy that gets out much; he was bookworm and mostly afraid of anything that could infect you or even touch you, or hell, he was afraid of everything that had germs. He was a pale, scrawny boy, and Susan seemed to like that in him.

"Aye, but there be a small chance we get a night's sleep or faster transportation," Buck replied, keeping his hopes up. Soon enough they paced to the entrance of the gas station; Professor Flitwick already inside. They all stood around, Buck going inside as well, when Terry turned around to look at the miraculous bookstore.

"It's wonderful," he breathed, expression looking as though he were in heaven. Draco turned around as well to face the wood and stone building. He cocked a brow at it, thinking hard of something. He had forgotten something…but what?

"Oh, come on!" He groaned, balling his fists and digging his nails into the flesh of his palms. He sped back from where they had wandered from, frantic and irritated. 

"Uuhhh…." Susan scratched her head, confused and squinting one eye.

"I take it he forgot something?" Hermione guessed, gazing at Draco as he disappeared in the horizon and turning back to the old bookstore.

"Well, as I was saying," Terry continued, ignoring the fact that the Slytherin had made a complete freak out "A bookstore, I love the rich text and content of books!"

Hermione nodded, smiling. She turned to the gas station door and stepped inside, a little bell ringing above her loudly.

"Drat," she heard Buck mutter, walking towards her with his head hung, "Tha' was right. They have no phone. But 'e says to me that they have small upstairs bedrooms in the bookstore. There not be a house for miles. Town is a long ways down, so we better ask to sleep in the bedrooms 'night."

Hermione sighed, looking up to the ceiling and back down to face the conductor, "Ok, I'll tell the others." She dragged her feet back outside in the cold air, only to find no one in sight. Smiling a little, Terry must have dragged Susan in the old bookstore. She strode across the small dirt road and inside the store, finding Terry and Susan right away.

"They have everything!" Terry gasped in disbelief, looking from left to right in the cozy store. It was a lot more comfortable than outside, and staying here a night wouldn't be a bother at all. It had dusty, tall windows and a white ceiling with navy carpeting, ancient chandeliers strung about. It looked smaller from outside, but inside it seemed like the bookshelves could go on forever. They were long, tall oaken shelves, aged for many years and to last for many more. The books all seemed together, but appeared to be as though they all had been one of the first publishing. Then, at the front and a few feet ahead of her, was a curved wooden desk with stacks of yellow, aged papers on it, an old woman with grey hair behind it all.

"Good evening, how is thy?" She asked in a cheerful, thick voice, cheeks red and glowing.

"Um, good, how are you?" Hermione returned the polite question, taking note that she was probably a Quaker. 

"I'm doing fine, thank thee for asking," she replied, nodding her head, "Thee friends seem a little high strong."

"Oh yes, our train just burned down for some reason and we have been walking for the past hour. I heard you have some spare rooms above here?" She asked, getting straight to the point.

"Indeed. I'm too sorry thy train burned down! Thee and thy friends may stay the night, to make it a little more simples on you. I won't badger back and forth until thy ease into the question. Thy wishes to sleep, correct?" The lady replied as Hermione stepped forward with ease. 

"Thank you!" She thanked, putting out a hand to shake, "I'm Hermione Granger, by the way."

"Oh, excuse me for not introducing myself! I'm Jackie Weshart; owner of this bookstore as my husband is owner of the gas station. People think we're odd for living so far from civilization, but I like the peace and quiet! We don't get much business, but it's still a nice way to end our lives," Jackie greeted, shaking hands. 

Hermione smiled politely and peered over at Terry, who was looking at each and every book in the aisle, "Thank you so much again!" Hermione thanked, running after Terry, as he was about to get a little too incautious with a bookshelf. 

~~~~~~

"Are you sure, Susan?" Hermione asked carefully as Susan stood at the doorway of the upstairs. There was one big bed for Hermione and Susan to share, but Susan insisted on not invading Hermione's personal space. She was going to sleep down stairs on a couch in the book area, where she considered it to be quiet. But Hermione knew that was a cover-up to talk with Terry. They were good kids and would never 'mess around' in bed, but she got the feeling her friend liked Terry, a lot. She smiled at the cute thought and closed the door after Susan argued about how Hermione needed some time alone. 

Ok, whatever suits you, Hermione thought pulling on her plaid mini skirt again. She hated the thing, but hey, it was something to sleep in. Her suitcase was placed neatly at the side of the king size bed; Terry's bedroom just next door. She sighed again, falling to the comfy bed. The first time she had really relaxed all day. It was certainly 'relaxing' in Draco's arms, but this was by herself. For once, she had her own room during the year. Well, not necessarily, it was only one night and all, but still…Hermione shook her head, thinking 'screw it' to the thought. 

Then she remembered she needed a shower. She could not go a day with out taking a shower when she knew one was working so near by. She stood up and padded across the wooden panels, opening a door that led to a small bathroom with a shower.

She practically just jumped out of her out fit and into the shower, then jumped back out. She was sleepy, damn it! She wasn't going to waste more time in a cold shower. Eek, cold. Cold wasn't a friend with her breasts. Spotting a towel quickly when she hopped back out, she wrapped it around her.

Damn, this is small! She thought as it barely covered her breasts and thighs. Oh well, it wasn't like anyone was going to see her anyway. She flipped her wet hair behind her back and steadied out of the bathroom, finding another out fit instead. Then deciding, who cares? I'll get back in the mini skirt… 

Right as she was about to go back into the bathroom, the door cracked open slowly. She stopped in mid step and stared at the door intently. Draco, what surprise, stepped inside with his luggage and the leather backpack he had left on the train. Inside, he noticed Hermione and dropped his jaw, smirking.

This year just keeps getting better and better…she thought, trying to cover up all of her bare body parts, only to show more cleavage. I hate men!

+TBC+

Chapter Four of Thoughtless: Avaunt tonight my heart is light! (I had to say that) Anyway, whoopee for Hermione, in yet another conflict with HIM. They travel into the nearest town, already missing their first day of Muggle School. And they go to a muggle-

BrAnDi's Note: Whoa, that was long again. Ally was all, what are you doing uploading?!?! You're not done, write more! Screw that, bubba, my bologna DOES have a first name!!! BUT IT DON'T TELL ME WHAT IT IS!!! Ok, this chapter went by FAST! I was all, whoa, when I saw how many pages it was. Damn, I'm writing a lot of pages recently. Well, I'll upload pretty soon; I have four days off to write. I'm going to be writing the next chapter of Damned Eyes (sequel to Demon Beneath My Will) and even though NOT MANY people read it, like I said screw the reviews because I consider it a good story and I'm finishing it, gawd damn it! Man, nothing is on Wednesday! Whoa, I wanna watch The Simpsons now, bye borko! What the hell was that?!? 


	4. Lady in Lace

Author: Brandi Vincent

Disclaimer: Yes, I made up the idea for Harry Potter when I was five, you see, and I wanted Barbie to be in it but it just didn't work out. Since, after all, J.K. Rowling, my old buddy, ditched me to go on a plane back to Britain and began writing my ideas on cocktail napkins! So NOW it belongs to her! J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. 

Summary: Draco and Hermione encounter upon a mysterious Quaker ghost in the book store and get so frightened they lock themselves in the guest room. (I DARE you to get your hopes up!)

+Chapter 4: Lady in Lace+

"Get out!" Hermione shouted, holding her towel tighter around her chest. 

Eyes still wide, Draco replied, "But...then where will I go?"

"Somewhere else, duh!" She snapped, becoming a little too edgy. She walked over to the bathroom, keeping one evil eye on Draco and slammed the door behind her. For crying out loud, she thought, inhaling deeply. I'm so embarrassed...the bastard... She pulled on her under garments and mini skirt, only to find her shirt wasn't in the bathroom. All she had to cover her top now was her black bra. She furrowed her brows annoyingly and slammed the door back open, not bothering to cover her top up.

"Do you have anywhere to be, Draco?" She asked calmly but still edgy, hinting a tone of anger.

"I would, but the old lady at the counter told me to go upstairs and holy shh...oot," he covered up for shit, glancing at her bust size. 

"Nothing I like more than a slobbery pervert," she smiled sarcastically and went to her suitcase, pulling out a ruffled white shirt and pulling it over her head. "Once you think about it, MALFOY, breasts are just another deformed body tissue which mainly consists of fat. What is the big deal about a girl's bust size? Nothing! That's like having an erection to a morbidly obese woman, which disturbs me...tell me, what do men see is boobs?" She asked, placing both hands on her hips. Draco opened and closed his mouth a few times, unable to find the right words to say. After a few moments, he closed his mouth altogether.

"Well, they're...a form of sex, which turns men on. Fondling breasts turn on woman, I should hope, or give some sort of pleasure, so we figure the bigger the breasts the better the sex," Draco pondered over words, choosing each one carefully.

Hermione smirked, although in no mood to agree, "Well, then tell me, oh leader of men, what is the deal with jacking off to breasts?" (By the way, do not dare tell me 'jerking' off is the correct assumption, there are many terms to the matter, so why don't you look some up, eh?)

"Because we're all pigs, can't explain that," Draco gave up, walking over to the bed and setting his suitcases down next to hers, "And I have no where to sleep so you're just going to have to move over tonight."

"Is that a demand?" She asked sweetly, cupping her hands in front of her, "Besides, you have yet to chose a room when you weren't here. Why'd you run off, anyway?"

"Forgot this," he threw his brown leather shoulder bag onto the bed, smiling back at her falsely.

"You seem to forget a lot," she concluded, staring down at it. He sat down on the bed and sighed, looking back up at her.

"I get this side," he claimed, lying down on the bed.

"Hell no, you're sleeping on the floor," she snapped, going on the other side and sitting down on the bed, attempting to push him off with her whimsy, pale hands but to no avail.

"If I sleep on the floor then I'm taking the blanket," Draco gave his usual smart ass comment, not budging one bit. She wasn't very athletic or strong. She groaned in exasperation and began punching his pale arms, not doing much damage or effect to it though. He cackled lightly in amusement to her effort and looked to the doorway, seeing a black feline sitting there. She padded over to him and jumped on the bed gracefully, resting on his legs.

"See? She wants to me to sleep on the bed," Draco told Hermione, turning over to face her. She had given up and sunk down next to him, folding her arms.

"Fine, Mr. Smart Ass, just keep a safe distance away from me," she warned, sitting up in bed.

"Good. Now that we have that settled, I'm going to pass the time by reading," he sat up and pushed Milady off, opening his leather bag and pulling out a thick book.

"Pleasure," Hermione sneered, deciding whether to sleep right now or read a text object. She grew tired of the many books she owned and carried around, so maybe she could slip into the store below and grab a quick book to read. She got up out of bed and walked across the room, almost touching the fading gold doorknob when Draco made her jump.

"You're going down there?" He asked immediately, a little jumpy.

"Yes, I want to read. Will you let me read or what?" 

"Sure, but it's just, I wouldn't go down there if I were you."

"Well, you're not me, are you?" She opened the door a little wider than it already was and stepped into the dark hall way. Anything could be lurking in it, which gave her a chilling creep up the spine.

"When I was down there, I saw something. Not the owner but a ghoul or ghost or something, I can't very well describe it," Draco informed her, setting down the book and standing up steadily, almost attempting to follow her.

"Oh, and I dear trust your memory. You know, remembering your suitcases and all made that bond stronger," she gulped, hiding her hint of fear with sarcasm. It didn't very well look bright and shiny down stairs in the store, but she wasn't going to listen to Draco anytime soon.

"Fine, suit yourself," he said, sitting back down and mentally slapping himself for ever considering escorting her.

"Fine," she mumbled, walking down the small hall way and down the creaky, wooden staircase. It was completely black with only the blue moonlight shining through the tall, slim windows. Small footsteps followed behind her as a bead of sweat formed at her forehead. Wait, I'm letting my imagination run off with me! She thought, shaking her head. She stuck out her fear and sped all of the way down, then wishing Draco would have went with her. Another set of light, fast pads followed behind her, then a black fury thing rubbing up against her leg. "Aah!" She yelped, jumping back. She squinted downwards and sighed of relief; it was only Milady.

"Came to keep me company?" Hermione whispered, a light gleaming off of the cat's green and yellow eyes. She looked back up and stuck out her chest, walking down the rows of books barefooted. It seemed a lot like a library, without the dust and decaying of books. Milady looked around too with anxious eyes, following Hermione closely from behind.

"Pretty creepy, isn't it?" Hermione shivered, slowly walking down another row of dusty shelves. It wasn't as eerie during the day, but it seemed like at night everything turned upside down. She wasn't necessarily looking at the books and taking note of them, she was merely staring at them, too caught up in her own fear. A blury image flashed before her eyes at the end of the row, just a few feet ahead of her. 

"Ok, now I'm starting to believe Draco," she whispered, stopping in mid step. Deciding it for the best, she began running to the staircase, away from the things that go bump in the night. Right when she hit the first step, a cold finger tapped on her shoulder. She gasped and turned around, hoping nothing would be there and it would all be her imagination. 

Laughing, Draco stepped back as Hermione stepped forward. He stopped his disturbing sniggering when she slapped him across his pale cheek, getting her portion of anger out. "You scared me!" She exclaimed, storming past him.

"It was your imagination considering the thought of fear, Hermione," he stated, caressing his now red cheek and turning around to face her, "Besides, I came down here to keep you company. I also got bored."

"And that so easily happens with you," she spat, walking with Milady back down the rows, refusing to fright when Draco was down here.

"I suppose, I have a short attention span, I guess," he assumed, looking about and following her slowly.

"Why don't you go-" Hermione stopped dead in her sentence, voice trailing off as she saw a white, blurry object pass at the end of the row, this time unlike human.

"Go...where?" He asked, stepping up by her side, "We should have brought a flashlight or candle..."

"You think?" She snapped, not daring to step forward, "I could have sworn I saw something..."

"Told you," he stretched his words into a childish howl, stepping in front of her. "Want to try and find it? That blurry white thing-a-mabob?"

"Double dog dare you to try," Hermione stated quickly, staying close by him, now becoming afraid.

"I'll triple that bet on myself!" He added, running at the end of the rows and down the way the white object went. Sometimes he can be snotty, but now he was leaping into his childish side, as Hermione followed him with Milady by her side. She didn't want to get killed by a ghost for not being near the protection of a seeker. Draco looked about anxiously, as the blurry image passed behind another bookcase. They ran after it, wondering what their objective was when they would catch up to it. Hermione shook with fear, as Draco shook with excitement, finally finding something worth being found. The supposed ghost disappeared upstairs, and that's when they stopped running.

"Umm..." Draco trailed off, a bit afraid to follow it this time.

"What if it does something to Terry and Susan?" Hermione gasped, holding onto either side of her arms.

"Well, it's not like anyone would miss them," he replied, taking a step on the old stairs anyway.

"That is so rude. Let's follow it, maybe it's not a ghost but the owner playing a trick on us," she told him, walking steadily up the staircase. They steadied up the stairs slowly, hoping the ghost wouldn't come down the stairs again. Now they were scared. Breathing scarcely, they made it to the dark and gloomy corridor and stopped, hearts beating fast. Suddenly and unsuspectingly, the white image fell from the ceiling and turned to them. 

Her chestnut hair was in a decorative bun with pearls and a gold hairnet hanging from it. A corset and thick green dress hung from her shoulders, which had puffs on both arms. She looked like a queen with many jewels, and did not at all look harmful, until she rasped in a deep voice, "You will die next," and disappeared. 

Draco and Hermione looked at each other with flushing faces and screamed into the cold depths of the night. They sprinted to their warm, safe room and slammed the door shut after Milady sped in. Hermione rolled on the other side of the bed and hid under the covers, as Draco pushed a redwood dresser in front of the door (the idea of a ghost coming through the wood drew clueless to him) and dashed under the blanket as well, Milady scooting between them. 

Hermione stared at Draco from under the covers in fright, as he did her. Mr. Malfoy wasn't so tough anymore. He calmed down after a minute and shook the covers off. Becoming less terrified, he speed walked over to the light switch and turned the bulb off, running back under the blanket.

"I'm scared," Hermione squeaked, holding herself in a warm embrace. Milady got up and walked from under the covers to the outside of the bed and at the edge to guard them bravely. Such an intelligent cat.

Draco nodded and scooted forward, Hermione scooting forward as well. She nestled her head into the warmth of his chest as he put a large arm around her, both nuked in their own heat. So what if it's silly, she thought with a shiver, that ghost better not come in here, damn the thought of it!

~~~~~~

Draco peeked open an eye, tightening his grip around Hermione. After a moment or so, he opened both eyes and turned his head a little. They were still nestled under the covers; Hermione resting her head by his chest peacefully. From a distance, he heard a soft rapping at the door. He pulled the cover off of his head groggily and looked out from the near window, it being a lit vast distance of wild grass. It was sunrise already and he was guessing (or hoping) it was Susan or Terry knocking at the door.

He shook Hermione lightly and carefully and stared down at her, wondering what she was dreaming. Hermione stretched a yawn and opened her eyes slowly, looking back up at him.

"We actually made it through the night?" She joked, sitting up immensely, voice low from a sleep. 

"Astonishing!" He added with sarcasm, sitting up in bed. Hermione, hair a bit tossed about, stood up from the warm bed and stretched, then padding over to her suitcase on the other side of the bed. Draco got up as well and leaned over to his own, snapping it open and pulling out a pair of tight, black pants and black shirt and setting it on the bed. Hermione, opening hers too, pulled out a pair of deep blue, baggy pants along with a tight black T-shirt with 'The Cure' printed across it in bold, white print. Draco, still sitting on his side of the bed, removed his dark green robe, exposing his tight black shirt and pants. He looked down, realizing he must have shook off his combat boots sometime during the night.

"Wonder who the hell that ghost was?" He asked out of curiosity, yanking his black shirt from over his head, now exposing a set of tight biceps. Hermione tried not to goggle or even look it at, but couldn't help peering down at it a few times as she spoke.

"Probably a relative of the owner's or an ancient ghost that has been there for probably before the owner was here," Hermione guessed, turning her to her suitcase and quickly grabbing a black bra before his eyes could match with it. "I'm dressing in the bathroom, I don't trust you." She gathered up all of her clothing in one arm and strutted into the bathroom, leaving Draco alone to think.

"It's a strong trickery, isn't it?" The brunette muggle boy had said in the heavy metal chains and shackles attached to the wall. He was the one sacrifice, and if they didn't kill him now, Draco and all of the other Voldemort supporters would be doomed for another fifty years silence until the next one would come along and they could reign terror again. He had talked with the brunette, Eric, off and on during the summer, and as much as Draco didn't want to become attached to the muggle, he, in a way, did. They chose Draco to kill him, and it was the exact minute before he was too.

"What is?" Draco asked, sticking his head a bit in between his legs as he sat down, knees bent and voice muffled. He gripped the dagger tightly, it already being sweaty and hot in his right hand.

"The world, mainly. Never knew I'd become a sacrifice for a bunch of evil wizards one day, but it's everyone's life dream, isn't it? To have a 'special' type of blood just right for you guys to reign terror," Eric stated with humor; he had been the optimistic guy so far. Guess he knew he was going to die and screaming did nothing for him. He jangled his metal cuff against the chains that were locked in a pulse throbbing disposition and whistled brightly to himself.

"Look, I'm sorry that I have to do this, but there's no way out for either of us. I've got a loony father and nuts leader on my side, and they won't be pleased if I back out now," Draco replied uncomfortably, looking up at the fifteen year old, "Hell, guess it wouldn't matter if I backed out though. The best Lucius can do to me is kick me out. Voldemort would probably track me down and slaughter me into a million micro-size pieces, but what's that going to do for him?" He sighed, putting his head back down as the mellow voices drawled closer to the room, about a thousand or so hums following. 

"They're coming," Eric stated in panic, looking down at Draco, "Look, I know you're not the friendliest person to regular people, but could you help me? Please? I don't like living, but I don't want to die yet. I still haven't succeeded in any career or anything like that! I need more time," the pale muggle pleaded, fear in his chestnut brown eyes and shivering under his tattered plaid clothing. A surge of anxiousness crept along Draco's body as the chamber door slammed open, Lucius and Voldemort stepping inside and awaiting Draco to get up. 

"...I've got your back," he mumbled to Eric as he stood up, facing Lucius' wild eyes. 

Shaking his head from the small, vivid memory, he looked down, viewing his wash board biceps and upside-down cross. Smirking, he remembered when he bought that at a Satanist muggle store in town. Even though most wizards didn't believe in whatever mythological creature was supposed to live in the sky, he thought it would be rather funny to see the look on those... What are they called...Christians when he shone the ivory, upside down cross on a thick metal chain in their faces for no apparent reason at all. He never took it off since, even to slumber, and even when someone would tell him he could choke to death in his sleep from it, he never believed that theory since it never happened. 

He stood up broadly and unbuckled his studded belt, whipping it off and pulling down his black pants to throw on a cleaner pair of yes, black pants (he sure has variety, doesn't he?). Not bothering to change his silky blue boxers (and sanitary!), he threw on his tight black pants messily and pulled back on the studded, black belt.

"Do you ever go in the sunlight?" Hermione asked, closing the bathroom door from behind her and walking over to her suitcase to pull out a pair of socks.

"Do you?" Draco returned the crude question, grabbing his shirt roughly.

"Good point," she answered, finding a pair of socks and squatted down, pulling them on quickly. "Though normally, you'd see a guy's biceps all golden and gleaming."

"Well, I don't qualify as normal, do I?" He replied, pulling his shirt over his head in a matter of pinto-seconds.

"No, guess not. Well, neither do I, but who would want to be normal and fit in with the crowd? That's like being lost in a crowd of people all dressing in white like you, but when you actually have originality, it's more like wearing black in that crowd and more likely to be spotted out as an individual. Not dressing like anybody but how you want to and what makes it different," Hermione analyzed, looking over to the door, "And did you move the dresser in front of the door last night?"

"Umm..." Draco pondered, stuffing his hands into his small pockets, "maybe..."

"You are so stupid! Ghosts can GO THROUGH dressers!" Hermione exclaimed, pulling her zipper boots on her feet and standing up.

"Hey, I panicked!" Draco snapped, stalking over to the redwood dresser and pushing it away from the old door without effort. Hermione stifled a laugh and a sigh and swung the door open, strutting out of the room with Milady staring up at Draco. He looked down at her and jumped, "Why do you come out of nowhere all of the time?"

Hermione looked around, making sure no unsuspecting Quaker ghost was around, and tapped on Terry and Susan's door three times. Swaying back and forth after a moment or two, there was no reply. About to knock on the door again, the old woman named Jackie Weshart thudded up the creaky stairs and looked up at her at the last one. "Thee best not look in there! Thee friends are already up and about downstairs and about in the moor. I suggest thee and thy friend get moving!" Mrs. Weshart informed her, scrubbing and polishing a brass kettle with a weary, dull white rag.

She was about to go back downstairs until Hermione called out, "We had a little encounter with a ghost last night in the book store!" She twiddled with her fingers and bit her bottom lip as Mrs. Weshart stopped dead in her tracks and sighed.

"Tis Madame Lucille. She has been here a long time; since the 1500's in fact. My great, great, and so on cousin. She likes to give me a spook now and then and when there are visitors. Don't mind her business, she's just messin' with thy head. Might have played a prank on thy friends as well. Terribly sorry for her, she won't do it again. She may look pretty and petite, but she's a handful, I tell thee," Mrs. Weshart shook her head, giving Hermione a reassuring safe look and continued down the wooden steps. 

"Well, that's a relief," Hermione sighed, turning back to enter the guestroom she had slept in with Draco. As she did, in front of her was Draco holding the entire luggage in his hands and on his shoulders, a bit wobbly.

"That's good to hear. But if I ever see that thing again I'm going to strangle it until it dies all over again," Draco cringed, dropping Hermione's suitcases on the dusty wood floor. 

"I'd like to see thy try," an elegant voice lured. Hermione turned around again, hoping it wasn't what she thought it was. It was. Madame Lucille of the many diamonds and frills. Draco grunted and stepped forward, Milady stepping back a bit and hissing. Madame Lucille gave a light, hearty laugh, folding her hands in front of her waist and chin pointing upwards at the two with a smile. She had pale, visible dimples and her chestnut hair, like always, in a perfect genuine bun. Hermione gasped a little, mouth dropping slightly. Madame Lucille laughed again.

"You're not exactly lady like," Hermione noted after catching her breath. 

"Neither is thy," Madame Lucille pointed out, examining her black T-shirt with 'The Cure' written across it. "I must say thee gave me quite a delight after scaring thy like I did," Madame Lucille told them, making careful steps towards them, looking them up from down. "But I must say, thee is pretty, and so is thy friend. Very handsome, I must ensure. Thy two must be goggling over each other, I dare say."

"Correction," Draco corrected her, stepping forward menacingly, "We're acquaintances. That's all. And who are you to judge? Probably haven't seen teenagers in years."

"Correction, young one, teenagers come and go all of the time and I have the pleasure to scare them off before Jackie can sell them a decent book. And I saw you two last night, in the bed, I'm not an idiot. By the way, who is the genius who moved a dresser in front of the door?" Madame Lucille asked, her fancy dress swaying. Hermione eyed Draco and picked up her stuff, prepared to leave.

"I'm quite happy we met, but as dreams end so do visits. I bid you good bye, Madame Lucille. Perhaps we shall meet again," Hermione said in a polite manner, walking past the dead Quaker woman. She watched as Hermione grew out of sight, and turned back to Draco. He tightened a grip around his luggage and followed after Hermione, trying not to make eye contact with the woman. Milady followed with her tail between her furry legs, avoiding the ghost. 

Madame Lucille stared blankly after him and frowned, reappearing behind him and grabbing his throat with an ice-cold hand, snapping his head upwards. 

"What the fuck," Draco groaned in a twisted voice, turning his eyes as far as he could in the sockets. Madame Lucille remained in a blank expression, lips at his ear.

"Protect the girl," she said in a shrill demonic voice, cold lips brushing against his ear lobe, "Something horrible will cross your path at that school. Beware of the silver and it may not see you." She disappeared right then, letting her grip go of his vocal chord. Milady had already run off with her tail between her legs; running to safety to Hermione. So did Draco, not wasting anymore time on that step. What silver now? He thought with an edge of panic, running outside to the moor. 

+TBC+

Chapter Five of Thoughtless: Over the moor to London! They are almost there and Buddha forbid I stretch the traveling out more. I bet you I will, I know myself, I'll make some other delay! My gawd, Brandi! Just have them get to London by the 5th chapter, you know? (By the way, if you've seen Sleepy Hollow by Tim Burton, I pictured Madame Lucille's voice to sound like that witch when she cast a spell to bring forth another witch when Madame Lucille did that demonic voice.)

BrAnDi's Note: Okay, I THOUGHT I was going to have them get to London in this chapter, but it's just not happening! I was going to name this one Moor to London, but NOOO. Cool chapter though. I SWEAR if anyone complains I'll rip out their bloody vocal chords with my bare hand and hang them from it from the light bulb that is burning over their heads! Complain of what, you ask? The following: Sex. Time. Other CRAP that I could care less for. Ok, this used to be in PG-13, so I don't think PG-13 would have sex scenes in it. I changed it to R because people were gay in PG-13 and it proceeds to get darker. BUT in Damned Eyes I may have sex, but the way people are complaining that will be delayed too. DRACO AND HERMIONE ARE ONLY 16 IN THIS. They're not whores! They don't even LOVE LOVE each other yet! JEES. But keep your hopes up. Dun dun dun. But HONESTLY, I don't like people that much, so I don't care about people reviewing that much. Review, though. To show your happiness or unhappiness or praise or bull shit. By the way, hell am I make this shorter. You wanna read a short sex story? Read something else. I have a PLOT, ok? And I am preparing to make a solid novel, and this is practice, got that too? Thank you for people who don't whine and plead and people that MAY happen to agree with me. Thank you, it is a pleasure having you read this then. Taking your small time out of your life to read Thoughtless! Any who, I'll be working on Damned Eyes (chapter 4) for the next few days so check up on this in about a week if you care to.


	5. From Dawn 'Til Dusk

Author: Brandi Vincent

Disclaimer: Yes, I made up the idea for Harry Potter when I was five, you see, and I wanted Barbie to be in it but it just didn't work out. Since, after all, J.K. Rowling, my old buddy, ditched me to go on a plane back to Britain and began writing my ideas on cocktail napkins! So NOW it belongs to her! J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. 

Summary: OMG. I did it AGAIN. ANYWAY, detour! Booyah, I told you! Worst. Episode. Ever. Nah, just read, I'm too tried to say. Damn, I'm tired….

+Chapter Five: From Dawn 'Til Dusk+ 

"While I hide my face in misery, exactly where are we to go now? We have no idea what we're doing, mind you," Terry pointed out as they formed a fellowship line down the dirt path.

"Beats standing around watching Professor Flitwick scarf muffins down," Susan replied, watching Professor Flitwick open up another Wunderbar.

"Which are surprisingly delicious!" He exclaimed as he followed behind Buck.

"Aye, if I'm not correct, it'll only take an hour o' so to get there," Buck informed them, marching down the long, dirt and rubble road.

"Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer, you take one down and pass it around, ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall," Draco sang in monotone, lifting his chin up to the sky and folding his arms behind his neck.

"Oh no, I hate that song!" Susan groaned, glaring at Draco from behind Professor Flitwick. Hermione loosened her tight grip around her luggage to circulate some air through her sweaty palms, then gripped them tightly again, speed walking past Draco. 

As one of his twisted jokes, he stuck his foot out in her path. She tripped on his heavy combat boot with a thud, twisting her ankle as well as her anger.

"You lousy son of a-" She mumbled, attempting to get up and snatching her suitcases up. She fell back down with a shriek of pain and looked back at her ankle. "You twisted my ankle, you bastard!"

"It seems Draco can't contain his glee," Terry burned a hole through Draco with a glare and ran back over to Hermione, who obviously had not dared to make a second move.

"You idiot!" Susan screeched at Draco, punching him on the arm so forcefully it formed a pink and purple bruise.

"Damn, Bones! I was only kidding!" He swore, rubbing his arm and singing the next verse to the endless ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, which when he would get to one, most likely he'd start sing minus one bottles of beer on the wall. 

"Since Draco's feelings are so inconsiderate, I'll carry you on my back," Terry offered, giving out a hand to help her up. Professor Flitwick and Buck turned around to check if she was okay and to carry her luggage.

"I'm afraid you're not strong enough, Terry, I will," Draco sighed, apologizing to Hermione, which she did not take.

"No, not him! He'll probably drop me!" Hermione warned, pointing at Draco accusingly.

"I won't!" He defended, lifting her up easily and cradling her in his arms, careful not to injure her any further and to steer clear of her ankle. 

"No! Let me go!" Hermione struggled in his big arms, crinkling up her British band T-shirt.

"Professor Flitwick, Senior Idiot here won't let her go!" Susan complained with her, as all three whined in an angry, teenage fashion. Terry, Draco, Hermione, and Susan all kept pointing at one another and arguing, most glaring at Draco.

"This, sir, will be hell," Buck muttered, cradling Hermione's luggage on his broad shoulders.

"I dear say, teenagers are the most obnoxious sort of age stages!" Professor Flitwick shook his head as Susan claimed to have Draco on her hit list and Hermione threatened to tear out all of their vocal chords and hang them by Terry's big head if they didn't shut up this instant. 

~~~~~~

"Karma, karma, karma, karma, karma chameleon," Hermione shouted to drain out Draco's insidious, boring singing as he neared thirty-two bottles of beer on the wall.

"Shut-up, shut-up, shut-up, shut-up, shut-up," Terry repeated over and over, smacking his head spontaneously with his dictionary.

"La la la! I'm not listening! Blah blah blah!" Susan shouted, closing her eyes tightly and sticking her two pointer fingers in her ears. 

Buck stared blankly ahead, waiting for someone to walk up to him right then and blast his head open with tares and machine guns, when he spotted a car and shop up ahead and under the beaming sun.

Professor Flitwick spotted it too, and turned around to face the irritating four. "Listen up!" He shouted, apparently not getting through to them. "Listen up!" Still not listening, he hollered, "SHUT-UP!"

They snapped their heads down towards him in confusion. 

"Well, you don't have to be so rude, Professor," Susan protested, removing her fingers out of her ears. Milady seemed to almost faint from the silence, having there been continuous and pointless shoutings, of course. The silence seemed deafening, overwhelming.

"We reached the town!" Professor jumped for joy and sped ahead to Buck, steering towards the train station to report the train wreck. 

"You're ankle still hurt?" Draco whispered into Hermione's ear, exhaling warm breath upon it. Shivering, she still maintained a burning hatred for him.

"After two hours or so of hearing bottles of beer being passed around in my ear, I'm not quite sure of anything anymore," she cringed, flexing her ankle. Terry and Susan skipped over to the lovely town, Milady scampering by their sides and looking up at them with a beam every so often.

"Sorry for, you know, tripping you. It's in my nature, I'm practically surprised I even apologized," Draco whispered back, even though everyone else was rushing ahead.

"So am I," she stated blankly, not daring to stare into the depths of his eyes. She looked away and ahead of them as the heavy sun beat down on their hair and the wild grass scratched against Draco's pants. She continued rotating her foot and ankle to keep it from stiffening or paining any longer and looked back up at him as they neared the small town.

"Exactly what do you expect from half of this year?" She asked curiously as he glanced back down at her. He only sweats from the heat, not the lightweight of Hermione.

"I want peace and to discover something different than I already think of muggles. I want to prove myself wrong of how disgusting they are. I especially want reaction the first day we step into that school. We'll have this awkward aura, you know, that'll make them back away without thinking," he acknowledged as she returned to stare at Susan and Terry as they ran up to the old station with the adults. "And you?"

"Not exactly the same but in a sense. I went to a public elementary school when I was younger. I think I remember some skills from it, but this is going to be dreadful! Having to learn all of these new techniques the opposite of what they teach us at Hogwarts! I can handle it, but it won't be as fun as I'd hope it would be," Hermione answered, keeping the rest of the gang in earshot, "But what I'm looking forward to most is television."

"Uh...come again?" Draco asked, stepping onto the platform of the old, wooden train station.

"Television! TV? Well, I wouldn't expect you to know about it. It's a form of entertainment. Time slots of shows in which actors perform in."

"Like a Shakespeare piece?" He asked again as he joined the rest of the four.

"Well...it depends what channel you're on," she replied, attempting to hop down but he wouldn't let her.

"Oh, I see...what?" 

Susan and Terry turned to them with glowing expressions, both eager and excited. 

"That doesn't look good," Draco mumbled.

"We're going to London today! Finally!" Susan exclaimed, twirling around as her auburn hair whipped through the air.

"Yippee," Draco stated, giving Terry an unpleasant look.

"Indeed, Draco! We're going to London in a limo! The ministry heard about our accident, so they ordered a muggle transportation device to deliver us to the city!" Terry announced broadly as Buck and Professor Flitwick stood up to them.

"I dear say, we will be at London in a pinch of fairy dust!" Professor Flitwick swung his arm in front of him enthusiastically, jumping off the platform and onto the dirt road. It was small town, that if you lived in it, the mall would only be a block away. Hermione always wanted to live in one of those cozy, safe towns that were so ancient, some road on horses to get around. And it was true; a white, fuzzy horse with a long blond mane and tail thudded up to the four teenagers as Buck followed Professor Flitwick.

A boy that seemed about sixteen looked down upon them, golden hair that shone in the sunlight brushed in front of his forest green eyes. A ruffled beige swordplay shirt covered the upper half of his body, except for the slit down his chest, and tight, black leather pants tucked into long black boots covered the lower half of his body. He was the kind of gentleman Hermione would call Prince Charming.

"I would suppose you four are Draco, Hermione, Susan, and Terry?" He asked in a curious sort of tone, hopping off of his noble steed.

"No, I'm the magical elf of Middle Earth, and these are my fellow hobbits!" Draco exclaimed with much enthusiasm, beaming up at the tan teenager.

"Don't mind him, he's a deluded idiot," Terry apologized as Draco glared at him and smacked him upside his head. Terry slapped him back, and they broke out into a sissy fit.

"Right, I'm John," the boy greeted in a most polite manner, holding out a perfect hand to Hermione and Susan.

"Why, hello there, Farmer John!" Draco shouted in a thick, hillbilly tone, Terry kicking him in the shin. "That's it, Gandalf, you're going down!"

"I'm Hermione," Hermione rolled her eyes at them and smiled at John, holding out her hand to shake.

"I'm Susan and those two are Draco and Terry, whose asses are going to have my feet permanently imprinted on!" Susan screeched, kicking Draco in the ass. This was doing them no good.

Instead of shaking her hand, John bent down and kissed it suavely, making Hermione blush a light pink. He winked up at her and stood upright, staring over at the fighting threesome.

"You kicked me in the ass! You kicked ME in the ass! That's it, jolly fruitcake!" Susan threatened to Draco, slapping him across the cheek.

"Anyway," John shook his head and looked back up at Hermione, "I've been informed by my father to take you guys to the ranch and settle you up a few horses since The Ministry won't send you a limo directly here."

"Wait, you know about The Ministry?" She asked in puzzlement, glancing over at the three fight.

"Sure do, dad's a muggle and mum's a witch, and I didn't really have my heart set on a wizardry school."

"You miss out on a whole lot, then! What could be more fun than Hogwarts?" Hermione asked as he looked over at the two adults arguing over what to do.

"I've come to like public schools better," John shrugged and grinned at her, hopping back up on his steed and giving out his hand once more. "This is Sierra, she's the most kind horse you'll find around these parts. Hop on."

Hermione hesitated, peering down at Milady who was rubbing up against her leg. She never really rode a horse before, unless you count the time when she was six and she rode a slow pony in a circle at the pumpkin patch. But she wasn't going to ride it; he was steering, so she didn't have much to worry about.

She grabbed his hand in a tight embrace and threw one foot on top of Sierra and hopped on her, sitting behind John. 

Terry looked up from the arguing and kicking of the shins and grinned, "Look, something you could never do, Draco!"

"What? I know all and do all," Draco looked up and snatched Susan's fist from punching his jaw, and saw who he calls Farmer John leaning back to whisper something into Hermione's ear. He didn't know why at the time, but something roused his anger and he snapped. "Where are you going, pretty boy?"

"To the stables. You're welcome to follow, Malfoy, but of what I see you're too distracted to comprehend the distance," John informed him, looking over to Professor Flitwick and Buck and whistled. "Meet us at the stables; it's just a distance down the road, you can't miss it."

Terry hesitated in front of the horse and backed away cautiously, "I would never touch those flea bags! I pass."

John looked down at him and glared, steering Sierra opposite of where she had been. "You should learn to hold your tongue when speaking in such a manner about my horses in front of me, warlock. I don't appreciate such a tone," he snapped, tapping Sierra to urge her forward, and they sped off down the dirt rode. Hermione giggled slightly, never having been in such an adrenaline rush before besides which. He glanced back at her and smiled, puffed beige sleeves flapping around his arms in the wind. Hermione held tightly onto him and looked back, seeing Draco dumfounded and fuming, Susan arguing with possibly herself, and Terry cringing and pulling out his handkerchief to dust himself off. He hadn't been such a clean freak lately, maybe he was toning it down because of Susan.

"You like Draco?" He asked out of no where, having to raise his voice out of the drowning thuds of hooves and dust flying around Sierra.

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked in confusion. How could he have made that assumption?

"Well, he gave me this evil eye, the look of jealousy only someone that has infatuated him would give," John answered, smirking. She hesitated a moment, and thought better than to think so. Draco didn't and will not ever like a mudblood. She laughed instead, a little nervous at that.

"Are you kidding me? Draco Malfoy, jealous of me? I'd expect him to do that towards Harry, but not me!" 

"Are you so sure?" He grinned again, steering Sierra towards the stables.

"Almost possitive. You can't start liking a girl that you've hated for years in just three days," she kept insisting as Sierra slowed down at the steep hill and trampled down it, pulling up at the white fences boarding a circle of land.

"As you wish," John sighed, seating off and giving Hermione a hand to help her get off as well. Sneering at his offer, she hopped off on her own unsteadily but easily, and turned to face him with an indefinite look.

"I'm not all that helpless," she remarked, walking up to the porch of the stables and entering the dirt perished passage way to have a look-see at the horses.

John, smirking, followed to offer some suggestions of horses. But Hermione wasn't in the mood to play innocent, helpless little girl in distress. It was getting rather annoying to have people see her as that, which was the complete opposite. She could handle herself and certainly well think for herself, thank you very much.

"I know plenty about horses, no need to suggest anything of the sort," she retorted, obviously still a little touchy about the Draco liking her for some odd reason remark. 

"What, did you go through a pony stage, too?" He asked with a laugh, a little stereotype about girls.

"Not every girl goes through that, John. I was plenty happy riding my bike, instead. Besides the matter, I like this one," Hermione replied, standing in front of a black stallion with a shining coat. John smiled up at the horse.

"This one's Jack-O-Lantern, named for his gold eyes that shine up at night. Rumor is he helped many lost riders find their way in the darkness, but that's just a rumor. We found him when he was young, now he's a stubborn old stallion," he told her, placing both hands at either side of his hips, "But we just call him Jack." She looked down from Jack and towards him.

"Doesn't matter, I'm just riding him into the next town, right?" Hermione asked, confused. Let's hope only to the next town.

"Well...," he trailed off, looking about nervously, "You've gotta go through the Creepers."

She stared blankly back at him, afraid of what he might say next. "The Creepers?"

"Yep, it's a dark forest with many mysterious creatures crawling about. We gave it an old song that goes, 'Jeepers, creepers, where'd you get those peepers? Jeepers, creepers, where'd you get those eyes?' A really corny early twentieth century song, but ever since I can remember, it's been that way."

"You're family must be extraordinarily fond of movies," she mumbled, looking over to the entrance.

"So, ya left with out us, huh?" Susan pointed out at the doorway with Terry and Draco looking about.

"I'll pass. No way am I going in there," Terry's face flushed a pale green and he covered his mouth with his Ravenclaw handkerchief, transfixed on a horsefly that was flying towards him. With Terry running away, Draco pushed aside Susan and stormed over to 'Farmer John'.

"You little Amber-crombie fucker, just leave with out us! And add to it, you stole Hermione away with you as well!" Let's suppose that last phrase Draco shouted slipped out without him catching himself. He stopped walking for a moment and stood utterly still, rewinding back to what he had just said. Now confused and mumbling to himself, Hermione raised one eyebrow and turned to John.

"I guess he'll have that one," she pointed over to a smelly jackass in a stable at the corner of the area.

~~~~~~

Susan threw her balled up robe at Terry and giggled, frolicking through the fields of tall grass and blooming dandelions. Terry caught it and threw it back, chasing after her as Hermione smiled to herself. And they called it puppy love. 

Draco stepped up beside her at the stable's entrance and folded his arms across his chest stubbornly. "Sick, isn't it?" He sneered, narrowing his eyes at the playful two.

Hermione glared up at him and elbowed him in the stomach, "Of course not! What would be sick is seeing you ever do that. Personally, I'd faint of laughter."

He glared down at her and was right about to retort a comeback, when John stepped up from behind them. "They're set to go! I suggest you leave to The Creepers before dusk or you guys will have a difficult time getting through the night," he told them, grasping the handles of Jack-O-Lantern and Q-bee, a young female with a dark shade of brown for a coat and a black mane.

"Goody," Draco stated with much hatred, "And how do you suppose I ride this thing?"

John laughed then at Draco's remark, tugging Jack and Q-bee outside of the stables. "Well, first you hop on the horse," he told him, explaining all of the fundamentals of riding a horse. Draco didn't catch on. He just stared at John in a smug way until he was finished.

"Okay, then I get Jack, he can have Q-bee," Hermione claimed, jabbing a thumb at Draco.

John gave another rich, handsome laugh, "I'm afraid all of you only get three horses. Meaning two to a horse."

"Oh, delightful! I've never ridden a horse before!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed, jumping up from behind them, having come down to look at the horses a little earlier.

"Hell am I sharing a horse with any of these people!" Draco yelled in John's pretty face, "That red head is clearly nuts, Mr. Clean might scrub soap on my hair, and Hermione is....is....Hermione! A know it all, bushy haired girl!" 

"You're no prize in a porno either, Draco," Hermione rolled her eyes, grabbing Jack's holster and tugging him into the sunlight.

"I AM a prize in a porno and a sex toy included at exclusive purchase!" Draco insisted, following her and out of earshot from the others, "Please, you know you want me."

"HA!" Hermione exhaled in his face, having to lean upwards at the height difference. "Stop being so full of yourself and stop acting...odd! Why aren't you calling me a mudblood and bombarding me with insults?" 

"Because Potthead and Weasel aren't here, why else? They tick me off, and so do you! You stand up for everyone's rights like friends mean everything! In the long run, friends will never matter! Doesn't matter who you know today, Granger! Trust no one, got it? People are maggots, don't go off trying to protect them any time soon, I warn you!" Draco exclaimed, pissed at his sudden change of attitude. He had a major mood swings.

"You're wrong! Friends help you out and you can trust them! Sorry if you've never had a true friend, Draco, but the few friends I have I'd like to cherish!" Hermione remarked, folding her arms across her chest and turned away, looking down at the dirt road.

"Whatever," he hissed, storming over to Jack and sticking one foot at the side of the saddle and hoisting himself up, getting the hang of it already. "Come on."

"No, you can ride with Terry," she replied stubbornly, trotting away with her arms still folded. Draco groaned and rolled his head up to the bright sun. Dark gray clouds were connecting to only let one last ray from the sun let through. It was going to rain heavily soon, he could tell. He trotted Jack over to Hermione who was walking to the stables again.

Steering Jack in front of her, she looked up at him and glared, "Move!" She shouted at the God on the horse. The last rays from the sun hit him to make him glow like an eternal being, or her prince in not-so-shining armor.

"Come on, Hermione," he answered softly this time, brows furrowing, "It's about to rain. I say we hitch the hell out of here and the rest will follow with our crap. If we don't, they're just going to keep stalling and we'll never make it through that stupid forest or the storm."

Hermione looked back down to the ground, expression clearing up a little. "But we can't just leave them here!"

"Please, I know we're of superior beings, but they can handle themselves!"

Hermione looked back to John, who was talking to Professor Flitwick about horse handling. Once he got done talking, she speed walked over to him. "John, we plan on going now. Is there some station we can drop the horses off at?"

"Yea, right when you get out of The Creepers, it's my brother's ranch. I can pick them up tomorrow. The only way of transportation in this small town is by horse or carriage, honestly. So you tell Jake my brother that I sent you, k?" John explained, leaning against a chipping white post.

"Okay, thanks!" Hermione replied, pecking him on the cheek quickly before running back over to Draco.

John, blushing faintly, peered back over at her and whistled with a smirk, "Can't wait to see her again..."

Draco, on the other hand, cringed. He's the jealous type, as you can already tell. He didn't even give the decency to say good-bye to any of them as they whisked off with Hermione clutching onto Draco's stomach.

~~~~~~

"Well, I can see we're not going to get very far," Draco muttered as Jack trotted down the rubble and dirt path through the dark and creepy forest. "We could get lost."

"This whole place is made up of one path, if you couldn't tell already. If we get lost, we must not be as intelligent as we thought we were," Hermione mumbled back leaning against his tense back.

"But on a brighter note, if we don't get lost we'll get eaten! Either way we're screwed, right?"

"You're the one that persisted we go then and there, Draco! I bet if we were with the others, we wouldn't be as frightened."

"Frightened? A Malfoy? HA! I laugh at the face of danger!"

"So follows the theory of danger actually having a face..."

"Shit! I forgot Milady! DAMN IT! She's probably thinking, 'Hey? What the hell are these dimwits talking about and why am I to think about it?'"

"Hey, where did you get Milady anyway?"

"I found her fighting off or running away from a bunch of stray dogs at the beginning of summer break when I went to...to..." Draco couldn't tell Hermione of all people about what happened over summer break. Originally, he had found her hissing at the stingy guard dogs at the front of the empty, ancient Wizardry prison where he they were to sacrifice a muggle, but he wasn't going to tell her that anytime soon. "To my sick Aunt's house. Milady was a stray, and she was extraordinary, so I decided to keep her. Nothing big."

"Yes there is. That means Mr. Meany Malfoy has a soft spot! That is so adorable!"

"Shut-"

A long, piercing howl filled the night with despair, cutting Draco's comeback off short. They had been traveling on Jack a while and it had already been nightfall. He looked up to see if the moon was full, but the thick layers of dry leaves blocked the sky from view. He couldn't even tell if it were raining because of the leaves; he heard something of somewhat that sounded like rain, but it could have only been the rustling of leaves. It was still summer, leaves weren't supposed to be so crisp.

"I have two guesses on what that was," Hermione said with a hint of fear, snapping her head to look behind her from paranoia.

"Yea, well I have one," Draco croaked a whisper, steadying Jack to the side to have a better look. Hermione squeezed Draco tightly, burying her right cheek into the black cotton of his shirt. He peered down the windy path again as leaves rustled to the other side and branches scratched against the barrier of other decaying trees. "Werewolf; only they make that sound of agony and hate and hunger. No wolf itself could ever brings its howl to such a high scream."

Another high pitched howl, this time nearer, sent shock waves up their shivering spines. The wind and rustling of leaves stopped hurdling themselves at one another and shifted to a dead silence; unreadable to tell if it were a sign of danger or change of weather. They took it as a threat.

"Go," Hermione whispered, gulping down vile and the sweat taste of fear. Draco kicked Jack hastily with a loud grunt and the horse sped down the path, eyes glowing a magnificent gold/orange. Jack grunted and huffed, hooves beating against the dirt and crunching up dry leaves to bits. Draco pushed Jack onward and kept it that way, again hearing the painful cry of a werewolf. 

Hermione squeezed onto his shirt tightly, about to shear it off, and looked behind her. There was a few rustling of trees and shaking of bushes that made her want to disappear into a lovely cascade of flowers and fountains, away from the fright.

Another piercing howl sent their stomach's twisting into an organic knot and their fear flying all around without warning. Whatever it was, it was feeding on their fear. Guess it wasn't your friendly Lupin type of werewolf. After a few minutes or so of stampeding down the path that felt like a gateway to Sleepy Hollow, they slowed down, not hearing another howl. They slowed down to an easy pace, and caught their breath with in a few moments. 

Chest pounding, Draco stated, "Maybe it wasn't meant for us. They might be behind us. Maybe it caught up with them."

"Please don't tell me that right now," Hermione whispered, still clutching onto his shirt with out thinking of it.

"We're a bunch of lucky bastards," he mumbled, steering Jack the glowing horse to a more direct path.

~~~~~~

They made it out alive.

"Guess Farmer John meant it when he warned us," Draco mumbled as Jack slowed down a bit more, looking about for a nearby ranch.

"Well, you sure catch onto things fast," Hermione replied sarcastically, at last letting go of him and returning to her stubborn self.

"There, the damn ranch, finally," Draco pointed out, pointing his index finger to the left side of the road. It was about to turn into a cement road if they turned a sharp corner, but Jack leaped ahead to the ranch with joy.

"The nightmare is over," Hermione breathed with a sigh of relief, steadying herself by gripping his shoulders.

"No, it's just beginning. This was like lesson one, think of how the rest of the year is going to be," he reminded her as they slowed down in front of the horse ranch. A small, white house laid nearby with a picket fence and one floor. 

"What do you think happened to the rest of them?" Hermione asked shakily before they were to saddle off. Draco hesitated a moment too long for Hermione's blood. "If they don't make it out by sunrise, I'm going back in."

"Don't be nuts, Hermione," Draco warned her, hoisting himself off and giving her a hand to take. She stared at it again for about a moment or so, then hoisted herself off on her own. Draco shrugged and fought the urge to shiver in the dampness and below normal temperature degree of the weather. Hermione walked around Jack and patted his rough head softly.

"I'm not being crazy, I just don't want anyone to get hurt or threatened any longer," she replied as they walked over to the house in hopes of someone actually living there.

"Look at it this way. If we go back in, we have a strong chance of getting killed ourselves. But if we go straight to London tomorrow and call the police if they don't come out, we'd actually have back up. What use would it be if they're already dead and we go in there for no apparent reason?" He asked, looking down at her with a gentle gaze. She shrugged in response.

"I hate being helpless, sometimes," she whispered to herself, not daring to follow Draco's direct gaze at her.

"I hate being questioned," Draco sighed, patting Jack's head as well.

"And I hate trespassers," a thick southern voice added, pointing his loaded rifle to their innocent heads.

+TBC+ 

Chapter Six of Thoughtless: I swear to Buddha that if they don't make it to London sixth chapter, I'll literally kick myself in the ass! I KNEW I'd delay it! How did I know?!? ANYWAY, I hope they get to London next chapter. Let's just say that.

Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long, I've been lazy and bored. Not as much as writer's block, as it is carelessness. Now I'll be working on Damned Eyes, GRREAT. Damn, this is taking forever…and shit, I have to come out with my new fanfiction, soon. Double shit. I'm really tired. I told myself I HAVE to upload today. Yawn, I'm so tired. Damn. I'm going to go to bed, review or flame, go ahead. Doesn't matter to me. We all die anyway, right? Heh. I have a writing convention Monday, means I get to skip school. But means I have to think up a plot. I'm going to bed, see ya.


	6. London at Last

Author: Brandi Vincent

Disclaimer: Yes, I made up the idea for Harry Potter when I was five, you see, and I wanted Barbie to be in it but it just didn't work out. Since, after all, J.K. Rowling, my old buddy, ditched me to go on a plane back to Britain and began writing my ideas on cocktail napkins! So NOW it belongs to her! J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. 

Summary: Muhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah. Damn, I'm tired...anyway, um, they FINALLY GET TO LONDON! I say yay, nay. Don't go there, girl friend. Die Scott! I've been watching I little too much Austin Powers...and listening to a little too much Green Day...whoa, dude, just read. I can't believe I missed the new South Park AND That 70's Show. Damn it...

+Chapter Six: London at Last+

Draco and Hermione slowly turned around to confront the armed man and to save their lives. The rifle moved from Draco's back to his chest as they turned around, and Jack just stared lazy eyed like usual.

"What are ya doin' on my property?" A tan man with blonde curls poking out of a beige, leather cowboy hat asked, wearing tight, white pants, black cowboy boots, and a ruffled beige shirt. Hermione found him handsome, Draco would love to differ.

"We were sent by what's-his-name," Draco told him, hands up and raised to his head carelessly.

"By John, at the other ranch. He lent us this horse to ride over here through that hell portal," Hermione exhaled, jabbing a thumb at the wretched forest. He followed the direction and looked back at them, pulling the rifle down at his side once more. "Then you must be Jake."

"Indeed, John sent you, then?" Jake asked reluctantly, then gave a full, rich laugh. "Was afraid you two were some yellow belly teenagers up to no good. Of course, you two are Draco and Hermione, right?"

"Indeedy, mac and cheesy," Draco said sarcastically, pushing past the obvious 'American'.

"Sorry for the misunderstanding. Got word six people were comin' to pick up some car here since it can't go through The Creepers at night, unless you want it totaled. Where's the other four?" Jake asked with sparkling blue eyes.

"Back in there, is my guess. I think something was about to-"

Four piercing screams lifted into the cold breeze, cutting Hermione off short. The three whirled around to stare up at The Creepers, as two horses came galloping out, Professor Flitwick looking green and about to faint. Hermione sighed and felt like she was about to faint as well. 

They galloped all of the way down the steep hill to the ranch, still screaming like lunatics. Draco stared at them in a funny way until they pulled up next to the three of them.

Then they stopped screaming.

Something behind them came hurtling out of the forest as well, a long slimy tongue flapping at the side of it's mouth. It was a huge, black scrubby wolf howling that same howl Draco and Hermione had heard. Jake bent down and opened his arms for the wolf to leap into. It did and began a frenzy of licking his golden face.

Terry stared at it in astonishment, rolled his eyes to the night, and fell off of the beautiful horse Q-bee with a faint. Susan stared down at him, then back at the wolf as Buck just gave a sigh of relief and hoisted himself off of the horse.

"Aye, come on boy, thy must," Buck advised Terry, patting his pale cheek with the back of his rough hand. "Eh, you must be Jake," he added, turning to the smiling cowboy.

"Sure am, and this here's Merlin. Probably wanted to say hi, since he's always hanging about in The Creepers. He knows he can handle 'imself," Jake said, patting Merlin's scruffy head.

"Goodness he gave us a fright!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed, scrambling off of the horse in a hurry. "I say, we were afraid he might tackle us!"

"Might've," Jake shrugged as Merlin waddled by Draco and sniffed him, howling.

"What's his problem?" Draco snapped, backing away from the wolf.

"He recognizes ya," Jake replied as Merlin began waddling over by Hermione and sniffing her as well. "He was probably tryin' to pick up your scent back in there."

"Well that explains that," Hermione mumbled as Merlin scampered over to Terry and began licking his face with a smelly tongue. Terry shrieked and threw himself off of the ground, pulling out a moist towel at scrubbing his face continuously. Susan hoisted herself off of the horse and patted Merlin's scratchy head.

"Wait," Draco snapped, turning to the other four, "Where's my cat?" They all looked around at each other for a moment, then back at Draco. "WHERE'S MY CAT?" He repeated, balling his fists so tightly until they trembled.

"Um," Susan scratched her head, "We don't know, last we saw her was in the forest."

"You lost Milady?!" He hissed, venom fizzing in his eyes. "Where is she?!"

"Calm down, Mr. Malfoy, she'll show up by the morning," Professor Flitwick advised with a small chuckle.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Draco shouted, stalking over to Professor Flitwick. Hermione grabbed his collar before he could go any farther towards him. He looked ready to kill.

"I'm afraid you don't have 'til then. The car's already here," Jake said, pointing over to a long, black limousine down the dirt road.

"MY CAT!" Draco shrieked, "I WANT MY CAT! You ALL will pay if you don't find her!" Buck, Professor Flitwick, Susan, and Terry looked around at each other again, feeling guilty. After a minute, Draco calmed down a little, but still refusing to be nice. "I am NOT leaving this land of shit until she shows up."

"Then we'll just have to leave with out you, Draco," Terry informed, walking towards the black limousine.

"Fine, go ahead," Draco hissed as Susan stared at the two and followed Terry.

"We're sorry, Mr. Malfoy, we have a dead line to make," Professor Flitwick frowned, following the others. Buck sighed and looked back up at him regretfully.

"I'll stay with ya, lad, if you're that determined," Buck offered. Draco just glared down at the dirt.

"No, go ahead with the others, this is my cat. I knew I shouldn't have trusted you people with her," Draco mumbled, folding his arms across his chest. Buck shrugged and walked after the others, letting him do what he wanted to. He picked up most of the luggage as the others did.

But Hermione wouldn't give in that easily. "I like Milady too, so I'm not going anywhere until I see she's safe," she told Draco, staring up at him as he refused to look up. 

"I don't need your pity, Granger," he spat, glancing up at her quickly, then back down to the dirt.

"I'm not giving you any of my pity. I'm already giving enough to Milady," she confessed as Jake stared at the two in confusion.

"Here," Jake offered, "I'll help. Have any scent or fur of her whatsoever?" Draco looked down at his sleeve and pricked a piece of fur off of it, then handed it to him. Jake took it carefully and pointed it out in front of Merlin's nose. "Hopefully that'll do. Follow the scent, Merlin!"

The black wolf sniffed it for a minute or two, then howled up into the air, scampering off back into The Creepers. Jake turned back to the two shivering teenagers, "He'll take a while. You two can sleep on my couch in the living room, I don't really have a guest room. The house is nice, but it's still sort of small."

"Thanks," Hermione smiled, then pulled at Draco's stiff arm. Draco pulled away, then looked back up at her.

"Are they really going to leave?" He asked smugly, staring back at the other four who were loading into the limousine silently.

"Probably," Hermione sighed, turning to Jake, "I just want to wait out here tonight."

"Same here," Draco muttered, stalking towards the porch of the house. It was a small, cozy white house a few yards away from the horse stables. On the large porch was a red bench and a swinging chair hung from the over lay. He walked over to it slowly, taking about a minute to do so, and sat down at the swinging chair, furrowing his brows. Hermione had never seen a Malfoy act like that, like half of his heart had been ripped out. Milady seemed to be his only faithful companion, and it didn't seem like he wanted to lose that anytime soon. 

She walked over to the porch as well and sat down next to him, swinging in the breeze. They scarcely talked and when they did it was about Professor Flitwick and the rest of them pulling away. Could they do that? Just leave them there? Maybe they would send another limousine in the morning or some old pick up truck, but whatever it was they didn't care. A soldier never leaves a man behind. Or, in this case: a cat.

~~~~~~

The moon light beamed down on them as the swinging chair creaked forward and back again, Draco and Hermione leaning against each other in the cold of the night. It had already been around three a.m. when Draco finally fell asleep from worrying about his faithful cat. He wouldn't give up on her.

He looked up at his surroundings from writing another entry into his summer log and relaxed as the wind combed the wild-grass of the field, speckled with evergreen trees every so yard. Milady hopped up from eating a grasshopper, the green insect still twitching in her mouth. She carried it over to Draco as a present and chopped off half of it for herself. He stared down at the long grass and found it lying there, as Milady pounced off into the meadow. Weird cat.

He dropped his ink pen down on his brown, leather journal and lay back, breathing in the summer air. Once you've been bossed around by your father all day and whipped slaves into shape all afternoon, it takes a lot of energy out of you. The only close thing he ever had in his life was his mother and Milady. He loved his father, but lately the man has become obsessed with his work.

The sky was of a baby blue as fluffy white clouds began to form in the rich sky. The air smelt of misty springs. Sure, the smell of blood was ever so intoxicating, but lately Draco liked being alone to think. 

As he thought, the forming clouds in the sky darkened, as well as the baby blue sky began shading into a metalic black. Draco sat back up to see what was causing this, and there he saw, walking miles away, a woman draped in black rags, walking over to him slowly. Ever other second she would pop up another yard forward, then another, until it began freaking Draco out. It was like a fuzzy film projector with its film scratched at ever other photo.

At a mile away, she suddenly popped up right in front of Draco, making him squirm back with an edgy gasp. Around her face was a shadowed cloak, making it almost impossible to tell whether she was friendly or not. He was going to go with the second one, you know, with the lightning bolts ripping across the black sky and all.

"You, Draco Malfoy, are Death Eater. Hates and takes and breaks," the woman said with a middle aged diligent voice. Who was this woman?

"Who are you?" Draco demanded, appointing to show bravery even though his feet felt like that half of a cricket at his journal.

"I am merely but a messenger. I warn you, Draco, that if you do not change your ways, it will lead to the fate of mankind streaking across your chest and tearing you and it apart. You hold fate, and for that, you will die at an early age. Most likely at the stage where you fall in love, which I'd laugh to see that day. You either stop this nonsense and turn against your father, or your closest friend dies," she pointed a pale finger over at Milady, who was cocking her head and pouncing over to them, then getting distracted by a fluttering butterfly.

Draco followed her meant direction and dropped his jaw for a moment, then flashed back into his normal state. "I'm not afraid of you," he muttered, glaring at her maliciously. His hair was ruffled a bit and he supported himself with his hand spread out, touching the ground behind him.

Only her dry, faint pink lips could be seen under the cloak. They curled up into a small grin and she cackled lightly, enough to make your teeth itch. "Oh, dear Mr. Malfoy, you will be. Your cat is supposed not only to be your good friend, but you seem to be inferior without her, ever since the day you found her. Silly boy, you let her grow attached! But I know a secret about you, a deep, dark secret that you would not believe if I told you it. By the end of this year, you will have experienced jealousy, hatred, a groaning pit in your stomach that wouldn't be cured by medicine. Funny, really, but I'll leave you to your thoughts. Do you want to be happy, or do you want to die at an early age; learn how some loves and friendships, like your cat here, never last?" She disappeared then with a last heart wrenching cackle, and did indeed leave Draco to his thoughts.

The sky cleared up but the clouds did not change back to their fluffy white as usual. It began to thunder a soft, booming background effect and drizzle on the plains. What was that all about? Draco thought with headache. He looked over to Milady who was cocking her wet head and running over to him, hiding from the thunder under his strong arm. 

Stop worrying, she's just a crazy old hag, he thought with nervous chuckle, patting Milady's head.

Draco woke up, sweating a little. He always did that; have a nerve wrecking dream and then wake up shaking or sweating. He hated it; he always thought of himself to spread terror, not his dreams. He looked down and saw Hermione resting her innocent cheek on his shoulder. They were both shivering, since it was still raining. Oh yea, he had forgotten. His favorite type of weather: rain. It was so peaceful.

Then again Hermione was peaceful, except she could bruise an arm. He didn't like to show it, but sometimes when she would hit him, it sort of hurt. All the same, he looked up at the dirt road, which did not have a limousine parked anywhere on it. Traitors, how could they leave without them? 

"Bastards," he mumbled, holding onto himself tightly. Shit, the weather did have somewhat of an effect on him, except the fact that he was freezing his numb ass off. He looked down and groaned, looking back up to the porch light. Was it so cold he had to get hard?

Then again that made Draco horny. He wanted to fuck someone just for the hell of it, but the only person that was around was sweet and guilty to admit sexy Hermione.

Bleeding fires of hell, man, can't you keep your mind on OTHER things? He thought, mentally slapping himself. Why had everyone been warning him lately? But he remembered that day so clearly he could almost see the baby blue skies again. 

He wanted to kick that woman's ass.

But maybe she was right, or was it all coincidental? Milady was gone and it was his entire fault. But hadn't he done what she had asked? Turn against his narrow-minded father and taken the beating of a lifetime?

He hated EVERYTHING!

Draco leaned Hermione on the other side of the wet swinging chair to stand up and kick something. Sounded like a good idea at the time. He hated everything about everything! He shot up from the chair and kicked the porch post, then went on down the porch and kicked around some dirt and then a tree, aiming for something that would make some sort of reaction. 

"SCREW THE WORLD! Bloody, fucking life! Why won't it just END?!" He yelled up into the damp air, waiting for no similar reaction. "Look at me now, I'm throwing a hissy fit," he laughed like he belonged in the insane ward and knelt down to the dirt, staring down at it blankly. 

"Draco?" Hermione groaned, tired eyes peeling open as she yawned on the swinging chair, shivering and trembling. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Draco replied after a moment or so, standing back up, "Just wondering why me, that's all. I need liquor, do you have liquor? Wait, of course you don't. I need a drink. So then I can smash the cheap bottle and stab myself in the chest. That's sounds fun, quite frankly, don't you think?" 

"Are you feeling okay?" Hermione asked again, cocking one eyebrow.

"Of course I'm not okay! My life is a bloody hell and it keeps spinning around in this crap hole of a tornado and every so often a cow pie smacks me in the face. Funny story, actually, I'll tell you some time," Draco said in this nervous rush, walking up the porch steps a little sloppily. "You know what, I want to go now. Let's go now, I can wire into that crackpot's pick-up truck."

"Draco, no!" Hermione insisted, standing up off of the swinging chair. "Have you gone completely insane? And what about Milady?"

"I've decided that obsessing over something is unhealthy. Like wiring into your neighbor's car. I mean at first I got electrocuted and when I got in I smashed into my old tree house, but I've gotten the hang of it. The wizards are going to London!" Draco sloshed, grabbing her numb arm and pulling her towards Jake's midnight blue pick-up truck.

Hermione cringed at the thought of stealing a truck, but when Draco gets an idea you cannot avoid it, no matter how hard you punch him it'll still be in there. It printed into his mind and was unable to erase. She hesitated as she reached for the car door, then turned back to Draco who was already under the wheel. Smart, Jake, leaving your doors unlocked, very smart. 

"Can't we just ask him to take us there?" She insisted, watching as Draco popped open the wiring system.

"Can't. Not much time. Have to make up for everything," Draco mumbled to her. Grrreat. Now he was getting delirious on her. She swung open the car door and hopped inside, on the look out for Jake in case he came out to see what was happening outside in the early morning.

"Ever wonder how we're going to get there or find our way?" She asked, staring down at him as he sat up from under the wheel, looking at her with his slicked back hair flipping up a little.

"Tons, but doesn't mean I have an answer," he replied, shrugging as he pressed down on the peddle a little to hear its purr. He turned to her and gave a 'here we go' smile and wink, as he put it in drive and slammed down on the peddle. They slammed back against the black plethora seat as Draco's smile grew wider, almost knocking over a garbage can and Jake's mailbox.

"I should've thought of this earlier!" Draco shouted over the adrenaline rush, speeding up the steep hill. Hermione looked over her shoulder and out of the back tinted window to check if Jake had run about by now. To her surprise, he hadn't. Dimwitted Americans...

Then again, dimwitted Draco. "You could get a ticket! We're only sixteen!" She yelled at him as he sped down the dirt road, which soon turned to concrete as they turned a sharp corner.

"Seventeen," he corrected her, getting back on track to a sane route of driving.

"Whatever," she said, "You still don't have a driver's license."

"I could improvise if pulled over," he shrugged, pulling out a leather wallet with a pot leaf in the middle of it. She looked up at him oddly. "Um, friend gave this to me," he covered up; she couldn't define whether he was lying or telling the full truth. "Anyway, I could flash my wallet at them, like an FBI agent. See, boo-yah!" Draco flipped it open and snapped it shut again, stuffing it back into his jean pocket. 

"They're going to want to look at it, Draco, not see you flash a Nutter-butter coupon in their face," Hermione rolled her eyes, dropping back in her seat uncomfortably. The truck was everything but uncomfortable, but the way things were looking felt so.

"It's not for a Nutter-butter, it's for a box of twelve of Twinkies," Draco frowned, staring down at his wallet as he swerved a little. Didn't matter anyway; the road was deserted with only a tumbleweed rolling across it every so often.

"Tell me, Gandalf the White, how do you plan on finding our way to London?" She asked again, crossing her arms over her T-shirt. Which reminded her, hopefully the others grabbed their bags, because they sure didn't.

"I'll take a swig or two and guess," Draco replied, cocking his head over to her. She gave him the evil eye, which burned through him like acid. "I'm kidding, I know the route to the damn place. Maybe not from this point and area, but I know what I'm doing. Or so I'd like to think..."

"Uh-huh. So, Einstein, what exact location are we going to in London? They never told us what apartment or address you big lout!" Hermione exclaimed, feeling lost.

"Aha, but that's where you're wrong," he kept one firm hand on the wheel as he reached into his jeans pocket once more, only to pull out a crumpled up piece of parchment, and threw it at Hermione's frizzy hair. "Jotted down the address when Professor Shitdick and that other uneducated idiot were talking as I came back with my back pack. I wrote it down right away, before, eh-hem, you exposed a little too much skin for your nature," he replied, coughing into his balled up hand.

"Fuck off," Hermione snapped, unfolding the piece of parchment and reading the address. "123 Fake Street?" She asked cocking an eyebrow at him oddly.

"Oh yea...," He thought aloud, rubbing his scratchy chin. He sort of had a morning shadow, considering he hasn't shaved in three days. "I think I was bored when I wrote that down. Check the back."

Hermione did, and examined the address carefully, "C991, The West Gables apartment?"

"Yep, which means small apartment, which means I have to share a room with Mr. Clean," Draco muttered, focusing on the road a little more clearly now. Hermione sighed and lay back in her seat once more, nodding off to sleep time from time. She tried keeping her mind awake, just in case Draco tried anything funny, but couldn't. Then she had a sudden, disturbing thought.

Professor Snape and Draco fucking in the ass.

At first it completely revolted her until she twisted her face into a sour cringe, then she thought of them holding hands in an intimate fashion. This time it made her laugh out loud. She kept sniggering until Draco looked over to her and gave her a weird look.

"What's so funny?" He asked in a contrary way.

"You don't want to know," Hermione stifled another laugh, until it snorted out of her nose.

"I do want to know," he snapped sheepishly, looking at Hermione stubbornly in a pathetic manner.

"You're just going to get mad," she said matter-of-factly, looking out of the tinted window and amid the vast plains.

"I won't, I promise, just tell me!" Draco demanded, looking over to Hermione.

"I was picturing you and Snape holding hands and having a candle lit dinner," she said in a huge rush, ending with a tickling laughter, which could not be contained. He stared at her blankly, then back on the road. After a moment of silence, he spoke up again.

"That was THE most vile thought I have ever endured," he spat, looking over at Hermione, who was smiling.

"I have a better thought, now," she replied, smirking. He stared at her again blankly, no expression valid.

"I take it you're horny?" He asked curiously, smirking.

She kicked his shin hastily, causing him to slap a hand on it in pain and caress it roughly. "Damn, Granger, it was just a question." After another five minutes of silence, he spoke up once more. "What were you thinking about?"

"None of your business!" She snapped, crossing her arms towards the window and staring up at the emotionless black sky.

"Was it of...me?" Draco asked intentionally, looking over at her with pitiful, baby eyes. She glared right through him and kicked his knee again. He cursed silently and rubbed it painfully, then looked back up at her. "You still didn't answer my question."

Hermione knew the answer: it was he. His perfect body, his perfect everything. His arrogant and smug expression and child's play of confusing her in an uncomfortable situation. But hell was she to tell him that anytime soon.

"Was I holding you?" He asked softly, loving the game of messing with her mind. He creased two fingers up her arm, and she pulled away instantly. As if his fingertips were piercing, hot blades burning into her skin. "Were we...having fun?" He continued asking away in his most sexy tone, rolling his hands up to her chin. She kept her chin still, frozen in time, as he caressed her cheek with his thumb teasingly.

Hermione forgot to speak up as he continued screwing around with her head. Some where inside of her didn't want him to stop. Some where inside Draco questioned if he were really messing around with her, or was actually is touching her with his own bare hand. He was, and it almost frightened him. He pulled his hand away instantly at the thought and realized he was still driving.

"So, how's that weather?" He asked, pointing out of the window as Hermione rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

~~~~~~

"My bologna has a first name, it's D-R-A-C-O! My bologna has a second name, it's M-A-L-F-O-Y!" Draco sang cheerfully as they drove into the streets of London. They sidewalks weren't as full as they would be, since it was four a.m., but Draco tried pretending the Red Light District was standing off at a dark corner. He took a picture with them once when he was with a friend; he probably had it in his suitcase at that very moment.

"Wait, where did I leave off last with 99 Bottles of Beer on the wall?" Draco thought out loud, skimming across the street signs. He had an instinct of where The West Gables apartment building was, but not a very clear one. So he was on the look out for a long, black limousine. That didn't sound right.

"No matter, I'll start off from 99 then," he answered to himself as Hermione scrunched her face up into a bitter scowl, glaring over at him.

"Please, I beg of you, don't," she pleaded, covering her ears with her pale hands.

"Fine, I know a better song," he smirked, "I want to fuck you like an animal," he muttered to himself consciously, "I want to fuck you from the inside..."

"Please don't sing that either," she begged, removing her hands from her ears.

"You know, I would sing that song when I was seven, blissfully unaware of what it meant," he replied, strumming his fingers on the chain-linked wheel. So far so good; they hadn't been pulled over yet. Why would anyone, anyway? Draco seemed to know what he was doing surprisingly.

"How do you know so many muggle groups and food?" She asked suspiciously as he strummed his fingers on the steering wheel. 

"A muggle moved in next door to me about a year or so ago. At first I thought he was revolting, but then he started introducing me to new stuff. He didn't know I was of pureblood or a wizard at all, I just said I had lived in the Amazon for ten years and had no exact clue of my surroundings. So we ate Twinkies, listened to music, and mauled around London all summer. I have a bunch of snap shots of him and me mauling around. He was a complete insomniac; always ate but NEVER gained a pound. So over the summers, I've disgusted myself with the sudden muggle culture interest. Though quite frankly, it was a blast," Draco replied, glancing over at her hysteric expression.

"I thought I'd NEVER see the day you fancy a muggle, Draco Malfoy. Well, when I was little, I would probably always sing 'The Safety Dance' by Men Without Hats. My parents were either big 70's lovers, 80's freaks, or enjoyed the soothing classical music. I prefer techno, quite frankly," Hermione added, looking about out of the window at the sightings. 

Draco smiled to himself at the sudden topic of music. He had never quite agreed with muggles, but music seemed to be the only good thing about them. Wizardry music was mellow, in general, and as much as he enjoyed chamber music, he also enjoyed British 80's music. Where did the times pass? Now all music was punk going pop and dopers writing about how much they love their hash pipe. But hey, he wasn't complaining about Weezer or insulting them in any way. Just everything about everything in general.

Aha! He thought, eyeing the black limousine, so here the traitors are. Thought they wouldn't see me popping around anytime soon did they?

He pulled up into the apartment's underground parking lot and parked the truck without realizing it. The outside appearance of the apartment was gorgeous; plants and rose bushes were planted outside of the tall building while a huge main entrance seemed to be of a high-class ballroom. They walked inside of it to check up on what room they were to be in and clear this whole misunderstanding.

A young man of about twenty-five sat at the counter, smiling up at them professionally. "And what can I do for you, sir?" He asked Draco in a polite manner. Hermione looked about the white and gold main entrance and gaped at the wonders. A chandelier hung form the middle with carved glass dangling from it, with a white plated floor. Everything else was quite self-explanatory: white and gold decorated all about with plants sitting at corners and an optimistic old man waiting at the elevator. 

"Yea, I'm Draco Malfoy and this is my lady friend Hermione Granger, our friends ditched us back on some deserted ranch and lucky us, we caught up to them. Any idiots of the names Susan Bones, Terry Boot, or...umm...Flitwick check in yet?" Draco asked in a rude manner, smiling back at the raven-haired man after his insults. He looked down at his gold nametag and flicked at it, "Oh yea, and hello there, Frank."

"I'll check on the computer if they checked in," Frank forced a professional smile back at him, then looked back down at his plain computer and began typing up something in a secretary fashion.

"Nice place," Hermione whispered to Draco as he spit down on the squeaky clean floor.

"Sure," he replied reluctantly, looking up at the old man who was staring at him, then back down at the wad of spit of his clean floor.

"They're in rooms C991, they've been expecting you. Here's your keys, Mr. Malfoy, James will see you up to your room," Frank pointed over to the old man as Draco followed his directions.

"Thanks, Dr. Suess," Draco said, snatching the dangling keys out of Frank's hands and led the way to the elevator. 

They walked inside the soothing crimson elevator with James and smiled up at him, then back ahead of them. Draco waved at Frank like a little retarded child as the reflecting doors closed and James pressed the numbers for their floor.

"Hi, James," Hermione greeted sheepishly, smiling at the old man politely. James had a rather big nose with loose, tan skin and bags under his eyes. He had a white and gray mustache, along with a red doorman cap and suit. He seemed quite kind and harmless.

"You don't have to call me that, they gave me that name to seem more dignified. I'm Geoffrey, but don't tell them I told you," he replied as they went up a few floors.

"Can I call you Kool Aid?" Draco asked in an anticipated tone with a sarcastic childish expression. His muggle neighbor would always call someone that if they were wearing a completely red out fit or something that looked tropical. Hence that Geoffrey had a crimson outfit on, Draco couldn't resist asking.

"You're a smart ass," Geoffrey smiled at him with a twinkle in his gray eye, "I don't like you."

"Like wise, my friend," Draco replied, nodding.

They stopped off at the correct floor and hopped off, waving good-bye to Geoffrey as he pointed which room for them to go into.

"We can count, Kool Aid!" Draco shouted, blissfully unaware that other people were still sleeping. Geoffrey gave him the middle finger and smiled as the doors closed on him. Draco gave him a menacingly glare and was about to run back after him, but Hermione warned him with her own glare. "Here we are," he sighed, looking down the rows of doors. "Life ends here was we know it."

"Yep," Hermione added, walking with him to her room. As she paced by his side and he jingled the keys at the lock, the door behind her opened and a buff hand pulled her inside, covering her mouth. She tried yelling to Draco, but her voice was muffled as the door slammed in front of her as she turned around to face the one man she hadn't seen in probably a month.

+TBC+

Chapter Seven of Thoughtless: DAMN I'm tired! Uuhh....right....so they're at this place and this things happens and yea....guess who that guy is?! I DARE you! Please, I wanna know who you think it is and see if you're remotely close! Yea, so wait like a week or so before I update cause I get lazy and tired and cranky and watch a little too much Daria...

BrAnDi's Note: WOW, FINALLY done with that chapter! Whine, now I have to do the next chapter for Damned Eyes. NO ONE reads that, but I don't care! I like it as a fanfiction. Considering on how many people read Demon Beneath My Will, I'm surprised it doesn't get as much credit. Well, anyway, what's up with you? Um, I uploaded this poem thingy called The Atheist Series. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't read it if you're not atheist! Damn, you wouldn't believe how many people who aren't atheist read it anyway and started whining after I CLEARLY warned them to NOT NOT NOT review if they're NOT an atheist or evolutionist!!! I mean, it's cool if you like your religion and all, but I've got my theory. Anyway, I'm tired. Damn, where did I leave off with Damned Eyes?! Oh yea. Damn, I'm tired...sooo tired....wanna sleep...and it's only around 10:50 p.m.! Thank Buddha tomorrow's a Friday. More time...THEY FINALLY GOT TO LONDON!!! I was thinking of them seeing a crowd of wizards, like from Damned Eyes if you read it, lol, but then thought that time zone was around December and around seven p.m. But I will have it in here sometime; just you wait! Brandi will have her vengeance! And review or whatever you people do after you read this story...who read's the author's note, anyway?


	7. Polyamorous

Author: Brandi Vincent

Disclaimer: Yes, I made up the idea for Harry Potter when I was five, you see, and I wanted Barbie to be in it but it just didn't work out. Since, after all, J.K. Rowling, my old buddy, ditched me to go on a plane back to Britain and began writing my ideas on cocktail napkins! So NOW it belongs to her! J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. 

Summary: For those of you who have forgotten, Hermione was just grabbed from a mysterious, familiar man. And guess who it was? No one you know! Muhahahaha! This one's a bit short, but for good reasons…

+Chapter Seven: Polyamorous+

"Let go of me, you bastard!" Hermione demanded, pushing away from the male hastily. She couldn't exactly see his true identity, so she just planned to play it safe and be cautious. He reached over to her, and she turned away from his touch, but his hand outstretched behind her and flipped on the light switch. Hermione froze for a moment, the light reflecting around his familiar body, then her mouth dropped. "Danny?" She exclaimed, flinging her arms around his shoulders in a big hug. He hugged back with a chuckle, pulling away to take another glimpse of Hermione's true and cheerful face.

"Why, if it isn't Granger, here to give me another vocabulary lesson?" He asked, raven black hair spilling in front of his beautiful, pale face. He had his black lipstick on as usual, the only guy she knew who would wear black make-up in public. He was wearing his usual chain-linked shirt which always seemed to be weighing more than he could carry on his shoulders, with his pale chest bare underneath and black leather pants tucked into his huge and heavy black combat boots with silver buckles leading up to his knees. Daniel was one of a kind, and if you must ask who her fellow friend is, he's been her close friend for years until he had moved away about a year ago. If it hadn't been for his mother and father living next door, he would never have seen her again. He currently lived with his aunt for educational reasons, but he and Hermione remained good friends never the less.

"A vocabulary lesson? You're the one who pulled me in here! And what are you doing here anyway?" She exclaimed with a smile, him staring down at her with emerald green eyes and a smile that said no matter what, he could never unnerve you.

"Well, I see you walking with Mr. Tall, Pale and Handsome there and figure what's up? And what are you doing here anyway?" He returned the question. Before she could answer, the door swung open behind her and who other than Draco to step into the room next. His first look was outraged and over-protective for Hermione, but then once he saw the other teenager standing before her, his face crumpled into astonishment.

"Well, how the fuck are you, Mr. Rogers?" He greeted, jaw dropped. Daniel's face lit up even more.

"Hey, how the hell are you, Mr. Malfoy? Holy shit, if it isn't the man himself," they slapped hands in a male greeting that Hermione would never understand and stared at each other, then laughed.

"You two know each other?" She asked, feeling left out of this reunion.

"Do we know each other? This is the idiot who dragged me around London!" Draco scoffed, unsure of what to say next.

"Hermione, this has been my next door neighbor all year. We even have a picture with The Red Light District. But you two haven't told me how you know each other," he cocked an eyebrow at them, smiling mischeiviously.

"I know what you're thinking, Danny, and no," Hermione rolled her eyes, crossing her arms across her chest casually. "We go to the same school and we're going through this exchange program, so we're going to some different school in London obviously with two more students."

"Ah, that explains a lot. Doesn't explain why you two are up at three a.m., but I'll let that slide. For a price," Daniel smirked, putting a hand on Hermione and Draco's shoulder.

"What did you have in mind?" Draco asked, cocking an eyebrow as well.

"School's tomorrow for me and I'm guessing for you as well, since I'm staying here with my grandma. Yeah, I know, I'm practically going through the family place to place," Daniel began saying, leaning agianst the opposite wall.

"Well, are we starting tomorrow?" Hermione turned to Draco questioningly, "I mean, will we have to miss another day? It's three a.m. and hell am I going to wake up in time."

"Yeah, I don't care if they're going, I'm sleeping 'til I'm good and ready. Besides, they're the ones who ditched us in the first place, so they have no say in this," Draco replied, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Well, that's what I had in mind," Daniel spoke up, "I have about five hundred pounds from my giving grandmother that I get as monthly allowance. She's one rich son of a bitch. You guys wanna help me spend it at the Green Oak Mall tomorrow? She said I can stay home tomorrow, or what would be today, since I just arrived here today."

"Brilliant, I'm in," Draco cocked his head to Hermione, "I normally wouldn't be saying this, but you deserve a day off, from all the shit we've had to go through." Hermione looked back at him, then shrugged.

"Fine, but only because six a.m. isn't my finest hour when I'd only be having three hours of sleep," she replied, yawning with a tentive stretch. "And we do need sleep right now."

"We slept on the bench," Draco shooed off her suggestion, turning back to Daniel. 

"Slept on the bench, ri-ight," Daniel's brows flew up, eyeing them both.

"Don't get any funny ideas," Hermione reassured, "Nothing's going on between us."

"Yeah, in fact, I'm supposed to hate you," Draco replied in bewilderment.

"Guess the stars are in line," Daniel suggested, nodding his head continuously as Hermione and Draco both stared at him like he was the nutcase in the room that shouldn't be pointed at. "Or maybe it's just Buddha."

"Thought you were atheist, Danny," Hermione replied, furrowing her brows.

"Hey, I always keep an open mind."

"Yeah, like when you tried blowing off that security guard's hat at the mall with a blow dryer," Draco scoffed, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Yeah, I guess I didn't really think that one through," Daniel thought aloud, looking up at the ceiling like it was the mystical sky that held his thoughts.

"Can we stay the night?" Draco asked, "Hell if I'm going back there to those hypocritical bastards..."

"Sure, Granny's not here tonight, so I've got the whole apartment to myself. I was planning on putting on some porno's with two chicks, a midget, and a she-male, but you guys are enough entertainment. I guess. You guys sleep in my room, I'll sleep in the closet; what I call my second room," Daniel replied, pointing down the hall to his left. "Third door on your right can't miss it."

"You have a second bedroom?" Hermione asked in awe.

"Yeah, but it's sort of small, especially with all of my arcade and music equipment taking up every last inch of it. Things still aren't very unpacked, so you won't have much trouble getting into bed since my stuff's neatly in a bunch of big boxes. Granny demanded it be neat in one pile. I'm hitting the showers," Daniel walked towards what was supposedly the bathroom at the end of the hall. "Knock yourselves out in my bed." He smirked, opening the door and giving them one last glimpse of his devious expression, then slammed the white door shut.

"Ri-ight," Draco said slowly, turning back to Hermione. "Unless you'd like to flash me again like the last time we shared a bed, I'm going to bed." He headed towards the bedroom directed for him by Daniel and swung open the door. "Doesn't seem right when there aren't shrunken heads and twisted posters of zombie chicks hanging form his walls," he thought aloud, then shrugged, entering the bare room. All of it was white and empty except for Daniel's lovely black bed, set against the middle of a white wall with black, glittering drapes pulled over each side.

"Can't say he doesn't have some taste," Hermione sighed, pulling aside one of the curtains and hopped on the bed graciously, curling up into the silky black sheets. "Why don't you want to go back into our own apartment with the others?"

Draco smiled mischeiviously, hopping onto the bed beside her. "Because, young one," he began, kicking off his heavy combat boots, "I'm pretty sure, counting on their personalities, they'll be oh-so worried for us by morning when we don't show up or make any sort of call. I want them to be at their end of pissing in their pants."

"You're so poetic, Draco," she rolled her eyes, kicking off her shoes as well, "And very thoughtful."

"You kidding me, be thoughtful to those ass-wipes? And do not think for a second I'm sharing a room with that pansy boy. I've had my share of fruits in my life, no need to go that extreme. Who knows if he'll make my bed with me still sleeping in it, or worst, organize my undergarments. I swear if that pansy lays a single finger on my boxers-"

"Boxers?" Hermione raised a brow, "No briefs?"

"Yeah, like I'd want dick hanging out like that," he replied, turning his back on her while he pulled off his robe and yanked off his black shirt. "Why do you care?"

"I don't care," Hermione scoffed, pulling the black sheets up to her chin. "What, going to take off your pants as well now?"

"Maybe," he smirked, "I wasn't until you gave me that lovely suggestion." He stood up, unbuckling his belt like the pro he was making himself out to be, and pulled off his black pants quickly but gracefully. He shuffled them up into a ball and threw them into a corner of the room as Hermione goggled silently at his nice pale chest. Draco caught her staring. "Shut-up, I know what you're thinking, I'm not such a weak boy after all, huh?"

Hermione, in an attempt to save her sanity and blushing pale face, noted on something else on his chest. "That's not what I was looking at. Are you the anti-christ?" She asked, pointing at his upside-down cross.

"Aren't we all?" Draco returned the question, glancing down at his silver necklace. He turned around, showing his nice backside and butt, sadly covered by a pair of black silky boxers with green dragons spitting fire around their scaley tails, and walked over to the light switch to flick it off. "You know, Granger, I'm surprised in you. You're much more outgoing that I thought you'd ever be. Guess I was sort of wrong about the busy bookworm," he smirked, shrugging his broad shoulders and making it seem like a graceful gesture, then turned off the lights to leave the room illuminated by the halls glow, then closed the door as well. "It's so peaceful and quiet, don't you think?" He asked in a tone far more seductive than it had just been.

"Yes...," Hermione replied suspiciously, rolling over on her side to try and figure where his pale figure was in the dark of the room. She could barely hear his soft footsteps against the plush carpet and the small creaks he made as he lurched ontop of the bed. "Draco, what are you up to?"

"Kissing is such a lovely concept, don't you think?" He whispered in the dark softly, moving like a cat that had more muscles in different places. Hermione didn't answer as he continued her way, crawling up her legs slowly and tentively, making her stomach swell and other such places wet. "You could have more than that, you know," he went on, making his way up her stomach covered by the black satin blanket. "It's only been a few days, and yet," he stopped crawling, knowing perfectly well the effect he had on Hermione as their mouths were close to touching. He couldn't see her, but knew her exact expression: needing, aching, frightened, and the sudden urge to leap out of bed or more likely at him. "Yet, I have this massive urge to fuck you."

Hermione hushed right away, not even letting herself breath as to distract herself from thinking. "Are you trying to seduce me, Draco, or molest me?" She finally asked clearly, mocking his seductive voice easily. It was too bad her remark didn't win her anything. Draco just chuckled lightly, moving his head lower to nuzzel her neck. 

"You're too cute, Hermione," he purred, yes, purred, which appalled her quite modestly. She was ready to retort something ugly, when his groin began grinding against her lower abdomen surely and slowly, flicking out a tongue against the pale perfection of her soft neck. "I can feel your need, Hermione," he whispered, tickling her throat with his words and tongue, leaving wet trails down to the collar of her shirt. "Why don't you give in?" To go lower down her body, he tugged at the sleeves of her shirt, and to his surprise Hermione raised her arms to let him pull her shirt off. "There we go," he whispered, pulling off her shirt and sweeping it across the floor.

He swept back her curly brunette hair to expose more her neck and pulled down the black blanket further down her body. Her bra was black and lacy in the dark of the room, only telling by his stubbled cheek and hands, noting on the size of her breasts. He set either elbow on each side of her slim body, grabbing a handful of her locks as his tongue made its way down the bend of her neck, trailing wet lines down to the beginning of her right breast. He suppled down the white mound of flesh until the stitching of the bra prevented him from further exploration. He moved to the other breast, licking across the gap between them until he reached the pounding patch of skin where her heart was beating rapidly. He over looked that and went back up to her neck, her chin, then right under her bottom lip. He flickered his pink tongue across it quickly, licking her upper lip, then, catching her off guard, slipped his tongue between her parted lips forcefully, smashing his mouth against Hermione's violently as his groin pounded against hers. 

Surprised, Hermione kissed back, entwining her tongue with Draco's. His hard on was growing bigger as she pleased his subdued horniness with her tongue, breath harsh and ragid. His hands groped the back of her skull, fingers tangling up in her curly chestnut hair, as he pressed his hard chest onto her soft breasts, crushing her between his body and the bed. He slid his hands out of her hair gently and slid them down her body, trailing down her naked sides until they reached the beginning of her mini-skirt. He slid one hand under it, going unnoticeable as Hermione was concentrating on not letting Draco choke her with his tongue, and parted her legs carefully. Right as he smoothed the silky lace of her panties, her lids flew open, forgetting she had her eyes closed, and stared at Draco like a child about to confront the boogey man under the bed.

"Don't be afraid," he whispered into her mouth, holding down her protesting body with his as he slid his hand under it carefully, massaging the tender skin of her vagina and twisting around her pubic hair. As he stuck his tongue further into her gasping mouth, he slid on long finger into her, wetting her panties and surely ruining them after what he was going to do to her. He pumped two fingers into her, rubbing her wet pelvis and inner layers messily, grinding his groin against her legs as he worked his way to getting her to orgasm. Smashing his mouth against hers again, he felt her ready to cum, and pulled his fingers out hastily, pulling away from the kiss to lick his glistening fingers. His slow, sucking movements made Hermione want him even more, and when he was done, he stared back at her wide eyes and whispered, "You taste sweeter than honey." He wrapped his strong arms around her waist and locked her against his errection, lifting her up from the bed and bringing her up to meet him. "Not so sweet and innocent anymore, are we, little Hermione?" He asked with that seductive drone, throwing her back down on the bed and swiftly pulled off her skirt as she was caught by surprise once more. He threw it down next to the side of the bed and like a graceful cat, fell back down against her slender body, wrapping his arms under hers and tangled up his fingers in her wavy hair once more. He peirced a kiss down onto her lips, mashing their lips together hard enough to leave a light bruise, then let go of her hair, hands sliding down her body like before to land on her lacy panties, hooking his thumbs at either silky side.

Ready to slide them down, he leaned into her, whispering into her ear, "What would Potter say? What about that Weasle? In fact, what would your parents say to the new, not so innocent Hermione after she's been fucked by her most hated enemy in school?" He chuckled lightly to himself, about to yank down the silk that covered her lower privates, when she pulled away suddenly.

"My parents,"she gasped, choking on every syllable.

"What?" Draco asked, bewildered.

Hermione wanted to vomit. What _would _her parents say? They would never see her in the same light anymore if they found out. She crawled out hastily from beneath Draco's broad, naked upper body, and jumped out of bed, close to a hysteric. She bent down and felt around the floor for her skirt and picked it up frightfully, backing out of the room silently.

"I can't do this," she told Draco, feeling for the door knob and flung the door open, light pooling at the base of the floor and to leave a glow around her slender form. Draco had an urge to throw her back into bed with only her bra and panties on, the light illuminating her lovely body.

"Where are you going?" He asked, dumfounded, as she stared back at his wonderful pale body, kneeling in an entanglement of black sheets. She struggled to breathe as he looked good enough to eat, kneeling there like a beautiful blond god or much rather like a perfectly sculptured gothic statue from the medeival era, and stopped herself from leaping out at him or closing the door with her still in the room.

"Sorry," she said quickly, exiting the room as fast as she could and slammed the door shut, padding across the hall and into the living room.

Draco sat there in bewildered puzzlement at first, until the moment caught up with him, slapping him good and hard across his cheek and bruising his cheek bones. "Bleeding fucking shit of fucking hell!" He cursed loudly, the room being sound proof so he screamed it as loud as he pleased. He fell back against the black silk of the bed, recollecting his raging hard on.

"Only one way to help this," he sighed to himself, slipping one firm hand under his boxers.

"Daniel?" Hermione asked as she snuck into the living room, catching him dressing in front of the working television. He snapped his head over to her, wet locks of short hair flying with him, as he was caught off guard by his only female friend.

"Hermione, why aren't you back in there with Mr. Macho?" He asked with a smirk, pulling his black Pink Floyd shirt over his drying hair.

"Why are you dressing in front of the television?" She returned the question, not ready to answer his.

Daniel cocked his head to one side, then nodded, "Fair enough. How about why are you one third naked?"

"Don't start," Hermione replied, pulling on her mini-skirt, giving Daniel full view of her breasts.

"Start what?" Daniel asked, taking it in mock offense.

"You gotta a blanket or something? I want to sleep out here tonight," she asked drowsily, ready for him to give her a smart ass remark. Shockingly, he nodded with a solemn smile and padded out of the room past her, swinging open a closet door and pulling out a _The Simpsons _blanket, throwing it at her. "There ya go, cheif, I'll be in my closet room if you need anything. You can watch t.v. and snack out however long you like." With that said, Daniel soluted her, walking down the hall to retreat to his room. _That fucker tried something funny on her, I know it_, Daniel thought as he entered his trashed room. _We're going to have a nice little talk come morning about undressing little girls._

Hermione faced the entertainment center, the wide screen t.v. turned on to _I Love Lucy_. She sat down with the blanket, curling up into it's soft, cotton sheet as she sat in the safe bright light of the living room. The carpet was a nice beige color as the moss green couch interferred with its exterrior. Guess his grandma wasn't for redecorating. The only things that weren't unpacked were Daniel's stuff, unsurprisingly. She sighed, settling back into the couch as she watched Ethel and Lucy scheme another plot to get Ricky riled up.

~~~

Draco's eyes snapped open, mind taking in the numbing music of Nine Inch Nails. He turned his head to see Daniel nodding his head to the music, mouthing the words silently as the stereo screamed Star Fucker.

"Don't you love this song?" Daniel yelled over the music, portable radio at Draco's ear. Draco flung himself out of bed to the other side, glaring at Daniel defiantly.

"You little fucker!" He screamed, fist smashing down on the radio and the pause button, leaving the room silent and peaceful as it was before.

"That's not how it goes," Daniel smiled, baring straight white teeth as he pulled the giant stereo up and under his pale arm.

"What the fuck was that for?" Draco demanded, ready to tackle his annoying friend.

"Oh, nothing, I just like messing with you, I guess," he smiled, sitting on his dark bed in his Pink Floyd shirt and baggy black pants. Draco groaned, leaning against the cream colored wall, staring at Daniel with an evil grimace. Daniel stared back, a lovely smile that would cackle if it could laugh. "Which reminds me, Hermione caught me dressing out there last night, half naked," his smile faded, eyes steady on his friend's face of realization. "Draco, I joke around with the sex jokes, you know that, right? Hermione looked terrified of something, and if anything you're the scariest mother fucker I know. Well, besides me. We joke around a lot, but Hermione's a good friend of mine. I never want to see her hurt, even by my best bud, got it?"

Draco just stared at him, breaking out a smirk. "I wouldn't hurt her, just tinge her a little."

Daniel turned his head, smiling as his neck pulsed with the movement. He stared back at Draco and gave him a long middle finger. "Don't fuck with me, Draco. You know what I mean." He stood up with his stereo grasped under his arm pit, staring back at his friend. "Your friends across the hall haven't left yet. It's ten in the morning. We're going to the mall in an hour, so dress up, chief." He opened the door without looking back and closed it quietly, Hermione already up and going in the shower.

"I was so fucking close last night," Draco groaned, ignoring his friend's warning as he climbed over the bed to get his shirt and pants. _Besides, Hermione could've stopped me, right?_ He thought, pulling on his pants as he jumped into each leg hole, then pulled his shirt on over his head. She wanted it. _I had to mention her damn parents..._

He thought of what his father might say if he fucked a mudblood. If he still lived with his father, he'd care, because he'd beat the shit out of him. Lucius would have nothing to say but a big bruising cane clutched in one hand and his wand in the other. Draco wasn't a virgin, he knew, and regretted the girl he had first had sex with. He liked to make himself seem innocent around sex sometimes, but other than that, he was indeed a star fucker. Although he hadn't had sex too many times, he had his fair share until he was fed up. He wasn't going to have sex anymore unless it was with someone he could trust. Could he trust Hermione? I guess after that experience he knew he could, but he couldn't trust her to leave him horny and hard.

~~~

Hermione left the bathroom dry and dressed, despite the last time she took a shower, and ran into the living room fresh and ready to go. Daniel had went into the room Draco was sleeping and snuck out her shoes and shirt for her politely, knowing quite well she was afraid to go back in there. There, Daniel sat on the green couch she had slept on uncomfortably, laughing at the cartoon program which was one of Tom Clancy's collection.

"Hey, when do we go?" She asked with a perk to her tone, smiling down at him.

"As soon as Daffy Duck in there hurries his ass," Daniel replied, jabbing a thumb towards the hall way. Light streamed in the room from the wide windows, leaving bright lit squares across the carpet and couch. It was a beautiful day, hopefully Draco wouldn't screw it all up.

Draco walked into the room then, smoothing down his black shirt as Daniel cocked his head up. "Speak of the devil," he exclaimed as Draco rolled his eyes, leaning against the opposite wall.

"You ready?" He asked, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his pants. Hermione and him weren't wearing a robe, needless of the occassion, since the summer was bright and gleaming outside. So he stood there, looking beautiful as always, making Hermione's chest swell.

"Yeah, let's go," she piped, allowing Daniel to stand up and stretch before they left the apartment. Daniel locked it with a chain attached to the key, little skull keychains dangling from it, and stuffed it back into his bulky pocket, heading for the elevator. 

Right when it opened, both Daniel and Draco yelled, "Kool-aid!" They looked at each other, smirking, then wiped it away maturely.

"Not these kids," the old man sighed, coughing into his hand as they all filed into the big elevator.

"What's knew, bone daddy?" Daniel asked, nudging the old man. He didn't reply, only grunted, and ushered them off quickly as the door opened again.

"Take the stairs next time," he suggested as the door slammed shut on them, going up as the little lights above them tinged to the next number.

"Rude," Daniel pointed out as they left the tall building, entering the busy streets of London. "We should just walk; the mall's not that far away," he said as they all skidded down the grand avenue of Britain, pushing past people who got in their way.

Draco shoved instead of made way politely, giving an attitude to those who looked on his way. "Can you hear this?" He asked a middle aged business man as he gave him an evil glare. Draco turned his middle finger up right, shoving it in the man's face, "Maybe I should turn it up!"

"Excuse him," Hermione apologized, grabbing at Draco's collar and yanking him away from the man. Draco fell into step behind her, following the lead Daniel was giving, and caught the eye of a familiar looking woman. She was dressed in all black, looking as if she had just stepped out of an out of shape movie projector, and was petting the head of a furry black feline. He was the only one to see her, as she was oblivious to all bystanders and cars as they drove right into her, standing in the middle of the road with an evil grin planted on her white, cracked lips. 

"You," he said firmly a little too loudly, catching a few glances but could care less for them. All he could see was the middle aged woman and the black cat grasped in her aging hands, the one cat he knew for so long called Milady.

+TBC+

Chapter Eight of Thoughtless: I dunno :(.

BrAnDi's Note: I KNOW!!!!! It's been so freaking long!!! Some of you lost faith in me, thinking, aye, she's too damn lazy to type, but you were WRONG!!! Well, pretty much right, but I made up for it, right? Gave you some masturbation material I did. I know, I'm good. Shut-up...weep...okay, so I was listening to Star Fuckers the entire time I was writing this. I kept on replaying it and replaying it, didn't even bother to put on the replay button, just replayed it each time it ended. Okay, so here are some reasons as to why I...delayed...: 1. Lazy. 2. I couldn't find my disk, until I found it a few hours ago on the top of my desk. I know... 3. I was lazy. 4. I was writing for other fics or my own stories I want published. 5. School problems. 6. I was pretty fucking lazy. And I know, I'm sorry, really. I know how it is when a BRILLIANT author with a FANTASTIC story like this doesn't update in like months...wow, months...sorry about that...heh heh....well, for good news, I saw Spirited Away days last week and it was AWESOME!!! YEAH!!! So I wrote a fic for it. Heh heh....don't hit me...


End file.
